TENNIS ATP 250 MARSEILLE – Frenchman Gael Monfils broke once for each set to beat Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4 6-4. In the third game of the first set Bolelli dropped serve for the first time in the match after four unforced errors. Monfils was solid on serve and did not face any break points in the first set. Diego Sampaolo
In the second set Bolelli earned his first break point chance of the match in the sixth game but he did not convert it. Monfils broke serve to love in the decisive eighth game to take the 5-4 edge after Bolelli committed two forehand errors and one backhand errors. Monfils sealed the win with a serve and volley.
Monfils dropped just three of his service points, won 93 percent of his first serve points and hit 8 aces. Bolelli earned a break point at 3-2 in the second set but Monfils saved it with a service winner.
Bolelli, who broke the 35-match losing streak against top-10 players yesterday with his win over Milos Raonic, failed to reach his fourth career ATP semifinal and his first since Sao Paulo 2013 but he will return to the top-50
In tomorrow’s semifinal Monfils will take on Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut overcame Austrian rising star Dominic Thiem 7-6 (9-7) 6-3. The first set was dominated by serve and was decided at the tie-break. Bautista Agut faced a stiff challenge when Thiem earned a set point at 6-5 which the Spanish player saved. Thiem earned two more set points in a tie-break featuring a lot of winners and spectacular shots but Bautista Agut saved both chances. The Spanish player sealed the win at 8-7 when Thiem made a backhand error. The second set was much easier for Bautista Agut who pulled away to 4-1 before sealing the win with 6-3.
Sergiy Stakhovsky edged Stan Wawrinka in the evening’s quarter final with 6-4 3-6 6-4 in one hour and 51 minutes to reach the sixth semifinal of his career and his first since Sydney last year. The Ukrainian player won for the second time in his career against a Swiss player after his famous win over Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2013. fought off four of his five break points.
Wawrinka was broken in the first game of the match. The Lausanne player faced problems against the aggressive game of Stakhovsky Wawrinka saved seven break point chances in a very long fifth game in the first set. Stakhovsky wrapped up the first set with 6-4
Wawrinka fought back in the second set breaking serve in the fourth game for 3-1.
The match went on serve until the tenth game of the third set when Wawrinka served to stay in the set but he faced the only break point of the set. Wawrinka was broken for the second time in the match to lose the third set 4-6.
It was an entertaining match between two players with different tennis styles.
Wawrinka failed to reach the semifinal stage for the first time this year.
Stakhovsky will face Frenchman Giles Simon who won the French derby against Jeremy Chardy with 7-5 7-6 (8-6).in one hour and 44 minutes. Simon rallied from a break down in the second set to qualify for his second consecutive semifinal after Rotterdam on his second match point
