Twenty-year-old Nicolas Jarry from Chile beat last week’s Gstaad champion Matteo Berrettini 7-5 6-3 in 84 minutes to reach the semifinals of the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel.
Jarry, the grandson of former world number 14 player Jaime Fillol, will break into the top 50 for the first time in his career. The South American player converted all his break point chances and saved all four break points he faced.
In the first set Jarry fended off a break point in the sixth game with an ace to draw level to 3-3 and broke serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead and served for the first set in the next game in 47 minutes after saving a break point with a forehand winner.
Jarry saved two break points with service winners in the fourth game of the second set and broke serve in the seventh game, when Berrettini netted a forehand. Jarry earned a double break in the ninth game after another poor forehand from Berrettini.
Jarry will face qualifier Denis Istomin from Uzbekistan, who beat German Maximilian Marterer 6-3 6-3 in 1 hour an 6 minutes.
“I am very happy as I am playing very well. i am very calm and focused at the right moments and I have handled the pressure well. I have not been broken a lot, which has helped my confidence and every game I am returning and playing from the baseline better”, said Jarry.
Spain’s Jaume Munar beat Taro Daniel 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in two hours, setting up a semifinal match against Slovakian qualifier Martin Klizan, who fended off two match points at 4-6 in the tie-break of the second set before beating dusan Lajovic 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 in two hours and 22 minutes to reach his first semifinal this season.
