Holger Rune battled past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1 3-6 7-6 (8-6) after 2 hours and 41 minutes to reach the semifinal at the Swiss Open in Basel.
Rune held serve from 15-40 down to win his first service game. The Danish player earned two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to win the first set 6-1 after 35 minutes.
Rune saved three break points from 0-40 down to hold serve at deuce in the second game. Etcheverry rallied from 0-40 down to break serve on his seventh break point at deuce in the fourth game for 3-1. The Argentine player held his final three service games easily to seal the second set 6-3 on his first set point after 44 minutes. Etcheverry ended the second set with 10 winners and did not make any unforced errors.
Rune saved a break point in the first game of the third set. The 2022 Paris Bercy Masters 1000 champion did not convert three break points in the fourth game of the third set. The world number 8 player saved the ninth break point he faced in the match to hold serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead. Etcheverry held serve at 15 to send the match to the tie-break.
Rune earned a mini-break to open up a 4-1 lead. Etcheverry pulled the mini-break back to draw level to 4-4. Rune earned two match match points at 6-4 with a backhand passing shot, but he squandered them to allow Etcheverry draw level to 6-6. Rune hit the netcord with a heavy forehand and sealed the win on his third match point after Etcheverry made a double fault.
“It was super difficult and Tomas has played great all tournament and had a super season. It was a fun match to play. I was super lucky at the end. I have never had as much luck in my life. Of course I am happy to win but I feel for him as I know how it feels myself when these kind of things happen. I am happy with my level. It was a tough match physically, so I am proud of myself”, said Rune.
Rune set up a semifinal against Felix Auger Aliassime 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 7-6 (7-1) after 2 hours and 36 minutes. Rune leads 2-1 in his three head-to-head matches against Auger Aliassime.
Schevchenko earned an early break in the first game of the opening set and held on his serve at 15 to open up a 2-0. Auger Aliassime saved a break back in the third game before breaking back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Auger Aliassime earned two mini-breaks to clinch the tie-break 7-2.
Schevchenko broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Auger Aliassime saved two break points in the eighth game to hold serve at deuce clawing his way back to 3-5. Schevchenko served out the second set 6-3 on his third set point.
Schevchenko earned a break point in the first game to open up a 2-0 lead. Auger Aliassime broke back in the fourth game to 2-2. Schevchenko earned a second break in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead.
Auger Aliassime fended off a match point on Schevchenko’s serve in the 10th game of the third set and broke straight back to draw level to 5-5. Auger Aliassime earned three mini-breaks to race out to a 6-0 lead and sealed the win on his second match point.
Hubert Hurkacz came back from one set down to beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-7 (6-8) 6-4 6-4. The first set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Griekspoor came back from 2-4 down to win the tie-break 8-6. Hurkacz converted three break points in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. Griekspoor saved four set points on return to claw his way back to 4-5. Hurkacks served out the second set with a hold serve to 15.
Hurkacz saved the only two break points he faced at 1-2 in the third set. The Polish player broke serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead before closing out the match with a love hold after 2 hours and 19 minutes. The Polish player fired 23 aces.
Hurkacz set up a semifinal against Hugo Humbert, who beat Dominik Stricker 6-4 2-6 6-2.
Hurkacz earned an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Stricker broke straight back in the third game and held serve at love to draw level to 2-2. Humbert broke serve on his second set point in the 10thgame to close out the first set 6-4.
Stricker earned his first break in the opening game of the second set to take a 1-0 lead. Humbert broke straight back to love in the second game to draw level to 1-1. Stricker won four consecutive games with two breaks of serve to take a 5-1 lead and served it out on his second set point.
Humbert broke serve in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead in the third set. The Frenchman held on his next three service game before closing out the third set 6-2 with a break on his second match point.
