The defeat of Taylor Fritz 24 hours earlier was clearly not a flash-in-the-pan for Terence Atmane when he returned to the court to dismiss the 7th seed hole Rune, and this time more comfortable. To reach the semi-final of the Cincinnati masters.
It’s pretty crazy to be honest. I can’t believe it. Here in the semi -final of a Masters 1000, breaking in the top 100 and even more with the victory tonight Terence Atmane
The French 23-year-old Lefty qualifying match, which arrived in Cincy after he only won one match in five tour level performances, surprised the Danish star 6-2 6-3 in just 73 minutes.
“I don’t think words can describe how I feel now,” Atmane admitted. “It is pretty insane to be honest. I can’t believe it. Here are in the semi-final of a Masters 1000, breaking in the top 100 and even more with the victory tonight is also a lot of money for me, so it will be very helpful for my career. It means a lot for me. I am very emotional about it.”
In what turned out to be a ruthless performance, especially with his forehand, Atmane showed off his entire justice and more than matching the speed of Rune over the court. He created 11 break opportunities that convert seven, to become the first Frenchman to reach the semi-final of Cincinnati since Richard Gasquet in 2019.
“I couldn’t really sleep last night with the victory against Taylor,” added Atmane. “I just tried to be on the field, tried to enjoy it as much as possible, because I have nothing to lose, that is the advantage that I have to be the underdog here that comes out of the qualifications. I think this will give me a lot of confidence for the rest of the year and in my career in general.”
With that victory, he will rise 67 places to 69th in the ranking – a career high for him – and his income for the season doubles by $ 332.160.
His next obstacle is even greater if he is confronted with the world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the defending champion, who has beaten Felix Auger Aliassy 6-0 6-2 to make the last four.
Félix auger-aliassime (L) and Jannik Sinner Shake Hands Shake after their Quarte Final Match
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty images)
Surprisingly, it was the first time that the Italian had defeated the Canadian, although the two losses he suffered earlier were before he climbed to the top of the tennis tree.
“I felt that I returned very well today,” Sinner said after his 71 -minute romp. “I think that was the most important point that gave me the confidence to serve well. I had a small drop in the second set when he broke me. It could have been a small change, but I am happy that I broke him back quite early.
“He is a very difficult opponent because he serves well, he moves well. Physically in incredible form and touches the forehand very well. But we have prepared in the best way, also tactically and I felt that I was playing some great tennis today.”
It was actually a way to make the traffic as far as the Canadian is concerned, and it was against him and he did not help his business by committing 13 casual mistakes. He made a dent in the progress of Sinner by taking a 2-0 lead in the second set, but that was quickly thrown away.
“Today I felt great on the field,” Sinner added. “I think you’ve seen that, but every day will be different. Tomorrow is a day off, which is good for me. We will try to use some repetitions and then see what I can do in the semi -final.”
The second semifinal will be set when the remaining two quarter finals are played on Friday.
Ben Shelton teaches a forehand
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty images)
Ben Shelton, however, will not have had a day of rest because his competitions have been hit by a series of rain removements in recent days, but he eventually booked his place with a solid 6-4 6-4 victory over the Czech Jiri Lehecka.
The 22-year-old who won the Toronto Masters is now the first American to reach the last eight in both Canada and Cincinnati in the same season, since Mardy Fish in 2012.
“I’m hungry. I have a good rhythm,” Shelton replied when he was asked about his current run.
“I play tennis and my body feels good. I think that trust is not satisfied with not satisfied, I want to prove myself again and again every time I am on the field, and having things that I want to get better at, is a huge motivation for me and it pushes me every game.”
Shelton’s flowering Serve was his most important weapon when he only dropped six points behind his first delivery, including an ace at 141 km / h when serving for the competition. Shelton broke crucial from Lehecka’s Serve on 4-all in each set to move forward after 81 minutes.
“Tennis is a game that is not about perfection. You lose almost every week you play. You lose almost half of the points you play. For me I just try to find those percentages, to get a little better every day,” Shelton said. “I like to play here in Cincinnati, so it’s a huge opportunity for me to compete with some of the best players in the world.”
He will be at the court again on Friday to tackle Alexander Zverev when he hopes to score his first victory over the German in four meetings. In the last of the quarterfinals, the second seed and world no.2 Carlos Alcaraz will assume the rejuvenated Russian Andrei Rublev in what could be a tough challenge for the Spaniard.
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