ATP Rotterdam: Stan Wawrinka tops Milos Raonic to set Denis Shapovalov test
After playing in the semi-final in Sofia last year, Gael Monfils is through into the last eight in Rotterdam as well after a 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 triumph against the Italian Andreas Seppi in an hour and 35 minutes. Gael and Andreas played for the first time since Halle 2015 and the Frenchman grabbed the fourth win, firing 11 aces and losing serve twice. On the other hand, he won 44% of the return points, keeping the rallies under control and breaking Seppi five times to dominate in sets two and three. Andreas did everything right in the opening set, delivering rock-solid numbers behind the first and second serve and winning 12 of the last 16 points for a 6-4, forcing an error from Gael in game nine for a break at 15 and closing the set on own serve.
Monfils had the upper hand in set number two, losing just six points on serve and opening a 3-1 lead with a sharp return in game four. The Frenchman earned another break at 4-1 before sealing the set with a hold at love for a 6-1 and the momentum before the decider. A forehand down the line winner pushed Monfils ahead at the beginning of the deciding set and he delivered another one for a 4-1 lead, wasting a match point on serve at 5-2 to lose serve but wrapping up the win with another break for the place in the last eight in Rotterdam for the fifth time.
2015 champion Stan Wawrinka defeated the 4th seed Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 in an hour and 37 minutes for the fifth win over the Canadian and the first since this event four years ago. It was a high-quality performance from the Swiss, delivering some great shotmaking and losing 13 points in 11 service games, saving the only break point he faced and keeping the pressure on Milos who couldn't endure it. Raonic prevailed against Wawrinka at the Australian Open in one of the matches of the tournament although he was unable to repeat that tonight, struggling on the second serve and getting broken once from two break points he gave to Stan.
The only break of the match came in the third game of the opener after a deep return from the Swiss who fends off a break point in the following game after a fantastic rally to cement the lead. The more experienced player secured the set with four winners in game ten and he maintained the desired level in set number two as well. Milos joined him in that task and we saw 12 easy holds for a tie break that Stan won 7-4 to cross the finish line, finishing a great match with a forehand winner to set the quarter-final clash against Denis Shapovalov. The young Canadian dismissed 2014 winner Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 17 minutes for the second quarter-final in a row after Montpellier last year.
It was an explosive and powerful display from Denis who finished the encounter with 33 winners and 23 unforced errors, dropping ten points in nine service games and facing only one break point in the entire match. Berdych, who wasn't on his usual level from 2019, converted that chance but he needed much more to stay on the positive side of the scoreboard, losing 46% of the points behind the initial shot and four breaks from nine opportunities he gave to Shapovalov. The youngster found the range of his shots right from the start, serving well and keeping Tomas under pressure on the return in the middle of the set before breaking him in game seven after a forced error from the Czech.
Serving for the set at 5-4, Denis blasted four winners to clinch it in style, building the momentum and earning another break in the third game of the second set with a deep return that Berdych failed to control. Out of sudden, the Czech broke back in game six but that proved to be the last we saw from him in this match, hitting a double fault in game seven to push Denis back in front and sending a teenager through after another loose service game at 3-5.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2Swpkll
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