The semi finals in both Vienna and Basel have been played.
ATP Vienna semi finals
- Kei Nishikori (5) defeated qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 6-3
- Kevin Anderson (2) defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-3 3-6 6-4
Anderson broke serve early and was soon leading 3-0 in the opening set. Verdasco quickly improved his service statistics, and both players won 83% of points on their first deliveries for the set. The one break point which Anderson had converted was the only one seen and the South African was able to coast to a 6-3 lead.
Set two saw six break points, three apiece, and three consecutive dropped serves. Verdasco managed to break Anderson in two of these games, returning far more effectively than in set one. Prior to this match, Anderson had surrendered his huge serve just once in 29 goes in the tournament.
Verdasco levelled the match, serving out for 6-3.
In the decider, Anderson was feeding off the Spanish second serve, but couldn’t convert any of his five break opportunities, and games went to serve nine times.
Serving to stay in the match, Fernando was faced with a dominant Anderson forehand and successive returns put the Spaniard in trouble.
A match point arrived and Kevin Anderson used it wisely to break Verdasco and win 6-3 3-6 6-4
The final against Kei Nishikori should be a beauty, with both players in top form.
ATP Basel semi finals
- Roger Federer (1) defeated Daniil Medvedev (7) 6-1 6-4
- Qualifier Marius Copil defeated Sascha Zverev (2) 6-3 6-7(6) 6-4
The Romanian confused Zverev with an aggressive approach, including a balance between affective serve volley and variety from the baseline.
Even after letting slip a set lead and 4-2 in the second set tie break, Copil stood strong. He served 10 aces in the decider, and won 17 of 18 points on his first delivery.
Only one break point was available, and it was presented to Copil who converted. Enough to win the match.
Ranked 93 before this tournament, and with a career high of 73, Copil had never made an ATP Tour semi final until this year.
Now he has made two finals, the first in Sofia in February 2018.
He is the first qualifier to reach the Basel final since Marcos Baghdatis in 2005.
Until this week, all of Copil’s six matches against top ten opponents had resulted in defeat - he has improved that record to 2 from 8, knocking out Marin Cilic and Sascha Zverev, world numbers 6 and 5 respectively.
Copil hadn’t beaten a top 20 player since 2014.
His ranking will jump 33 spots to 60, and if he can produce an unlikely win against Roger Federer in the final, he would be number 43.
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