Lorenzo Musetti moved past Arthur Rinderknech 6-3 6-3 in one hour and 28 minutes at the Chengdu Open to reach his third semifinal of the season following Barcelona and Bastad. 

Musetti earned his first break in the fourth game to win the first set 6-3. The Italian player broke twice in the first and ninth games to close out the second set 6-3. 

“It was a step forward from yesterday. Yesterday’s match gave me a lot of confidence and today I started very well, breaking him immediately and that was the key to my win. A really solid performance from the baseline and I am really happy to be in the semifinals”, said Musetti.   

Musetti set up a semifinal match against this year’s Wimbledon quarter finalist Roman Safiulin, who advanced to his first semifinal of the season as Jordan Thompson was forced to withdraw from the match after Safiulin had won the first set 7-6 (7-1). 

Alexander Zverev came back from one set down to beat Miomir Kecmanovic 5-7 7-5 6-2. Zverev has reached his seventh semifinal this season. 

Kecmanovic earned an early break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Zverev broke straight back in the fifth game and held on his serve to draw level to 3-3. Kecmanovic broke for the second time in the 12^th game to close out the first set 7-5. 

Zverev broke in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. Kecmanovic broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Zverev earned his second break in the 11^th game to seal the second set 7-5. The German player earned two breaks in the first and seventh games to close out the third set 6-2. 

The German player is currently seventh in the ATP Race to Turin and is aiming to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. Zverev will face Grigor Dimitrov, who cruised to a 6-4 6-1 win over Australia’s Christopher O’Connell. Dimitrov, who won the 400^th match win of his career at ATP Tour leve, is chasing his first title since his triumph at the 2017 ATP Finals. Dimitrov broke three times in the 10^th game of the first set and in the second and sixth games of the second set.

China’s Wang Xiyu claimed her first WTA Tour title after beating this year’s Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette 6-0 6-2 in the final of the Guangzhou Open. Wang Xiyu, US Open girls’ champion in 2018, dropped just one set en route to her first title. 

Linette beat Wang in their only previous match in the quarter finals in Hua Hin in 2020.   

Wang won 84% of her first service points and never faced a break point. The Chinese player hit eight winners to six unforced errors. 

Wang broke three times to take a bagel win in the second set. 

Wang earned an early break to open up a 2-0 lead in the second set. Linette won her first game before breaking back to draw level to 2-2, but Wang earned two more breaks in the fifth and seventh games to win the second set 6-2 after 80 minutes.   

Wang became the fifth Chinese champion in Guangzhou following in the footsteps of Li Na (2004), Yan Zi (2005), Zhang Shuai (2013 and 2017), Wang Qiang (2018). 

The 22-year-old player is the third Chinese champion this year after Zhu Lin in Hua Hin and Zheng Quinwen in Palermo. 

“It was very exciting and it’s a very emotional moment because every player is really tough. It’s very difficult to be here on the last day. I am very happy to be here and I think I cannot say it because it’s very emotional. I wanted a title from the first day, event when I started tennis. It was really a dream for me. I think there are going to be bigger tournaments, tougher matches waiting for me, and I am trying my best like I did this week”, said Wang Xiyu.

After losing the first four editions of the Laver Cup, Team World look set to win the event for a second time as the event reaches its conclusion tomorrow.

Team World Captain John McEnroe was thrilled with the day’s results but warned against complacency: “We’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing. The job’s not done but we’re pretty close.”

American duo Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe both earned straight sets wins over Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz, while Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ben Shelton beat Hurkacz and Gael Monfils.

“I want to play well for the guys,” said Tiafoe after his singles victory. “I played really well tonight. Just being in a team environment is so foreign to us as tennis players, it’s such an individual sport.”

After winning his third singles match in three appearances at the Laver Cup, Fritz was also motivated to do well:

“Yesterday, all the guys played really well. I felt that and wanted to come out on court and show what I can do. That definitely motivated me. Any type of team environment, I feel like it always elevates my game. I feel like my record in team events is really strong because I have a team cheering for me. I get pumped up. I’m excited to play for them. It just adds more pressure and fire to it. I think I play better in those situations.”

The doubles was a typically dynamic and feisty affair, and after the match Shelton was full of praise for his partner:

“It’s amazing, when you play with a guy who serves and returns like Felix, is as athletic as him, and goes back for the overhead as strong as him, it’s a fun time,” said Shelton. “We call him ‘Laver Cup Felix’ because he turns into something special this week, just glad I got to share the court with him at least once.”

Auger-Aliassime returned the compliments: “The best comes out of me when I’m playing not only for myself but for team-mates. Ben carried me through the end of that match, it was tough for me to get it done.”

Casper Ruud, meanwhile, beat Tommy Paul for Europe’s only points so far.

Matches on the final day are worth three points each – meaning that Team Europe would have to win all four remaining matches to prevent Team World from winning the trophy.

Results:
T. Fritz def A. Rublev 6-2, 7-6
F. Tiafoe def H. Hurkacz 7-5, 6-3
F. Auger-Aliassime & B. Shelton def H.Hurkacz & G. Monfils 7-5, 6-4
C. Ruud def T. Paul 7-6, 6-2