Andrey Rublev saw off Daniel Evans 6-4 3-6 6-3 at the Adelaide International to improve his impressive winning streak to 6-0 this year after clinching the first ATP Tour of the 2020 season in Doha last week. Thanks to his title in Doha Rublev has broken into the top 20 in the ATP Ranking for the first time in his career.
Rublev sealed the first set 6-4 with his only break in the opening game. Evans converted his third break point in the fourth game at deuce and held his next three service games to win the second set 6-3 forcing the match to the third set.
Evans saved four break points to hold his serve at deuce in the second game of the second set. Rublev converted his third break point chance to open up a 3-1 lead and held on his next three service games to win the third set 6-3.
Rublev set up a semifinal against Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime, who eased past Alex Bolt 6-3 6-0. Rublev won their only previous head-to-head match against Auger Aliassime in Umag in 2018.
South Africa’s Lloyd Harris reached his second semifinal with a 6-3 6-3 win over Pablo Carreno Busta. Harris, who broke into the top 100 for the first time last year, converted on three of his nine break point chances and dropped just seven on his serve. Harris reached the semifinal as a lucky loser last year in Chengdu.
“Eventually I go tinto the Grand Slam qualifying. I was not winning any matches there. It was a long journey, and I had to grind for a long time. If I look back, still two years ago I was still playing Futures. It’s not a very distant memory. I have very good memories, a lot of good success that came out of there. I think it’s really helped me with the person I am now and just that extra little bit of fight and hard work I had to put in to make it to where I am now”, said Harris.
Harris will face 22-year-old qualifier Tommy Paul, who beat Spain’s Albert Ramos Vinolas 6-3 6-4. Harris and Paul have never reached a final at ATP Tour level.
All four semifinalists in Adelaide are under 23 players.
In the doubles match Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski overcame Jurgen Melzer and Edouard Roger Vasselin 6-3 1-6 13-11 in the quarter final after saving a match point at 10-11 in the Match tie-break. Murray and Skupski set up a semifinal match against Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek. Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury beat Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 6-4 6-3 setting up a semifinal clash against Maximo Gonzales and Fabrice Martin.
