Stefanos Tsitsipas moved into the semifinal of the Open Parc Auvergne Rhone Alpes Lyon with a 6-3 6-4 win over Yoshihito Nishioka in 66 minutes.
Tsitsipas broke serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead after Nishioka hit a backhand long and closed out the first set after 31 minutes.
The 2021 Monte-Carlo champion earned another break in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead after another error from Nishioka and held on his next service games to close out the second set 6-4.
Tsitsipas sets up a semifinal clash against Italian Next Gen star Lorenzo Musetti, who edged Aljaz Bedene 6-3 7-6 (7-2) after 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Musetti broke serve in the fifth game with a forehand drop shot winner to take a 3-2 lead. The 19-year-old Italian player was not able to convert a set point on Bedene’s serve at 5-2, but he closed out the first set after 39 minutes after Bedene hit a backhand drop shot into the net.
Bedene opened up a 3-0 lead with a break after winning 12 of the first 15 points. The Slovenian player pulled away to a 5-2 lead, but Musetti came back by winning four consecutive four games to take a 6-5 lead with two breaks in the ninth and eleventh games.
Musetti came back from 2-5 in the second set and served for the match at 6-5. He hit an underarm serve at 6-5 30-40, but Bedene broke him back. Musetti won five consecutive points from 2-2 to to claim the tie-break 7-2.
“It was a crazy end. I was 6-5 up, and at 30-30 I played a really bad volley and hit an underarm serve. Sometimes I go out of my mind. I am really proud of myself and I was 2-5 down in the second set I stayed focused. I tried to play each point at my best”, said Musetti.
Tsitsipas beat Musetti 6-1 6-3 in their previous head-to-head match in the Acapulco semifinal.
