ATP Marseille: Stefanos Tsitsipas downs Vasek Pospisil. Denis Shapovalov bows out
Heading to Marseille with only three ATP wins in 2020, Stefanos Tsitsipas has found the winning formula, beating Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-3 in an hour and 26 minutes. The Greek lost ten points in ten service games, facing no break points and stealing Vasek's serve thrice to control the scoreboard in the last 12 games and reach the semis. Pospisil saved a break point in the seventh game with a winner at the net, staying right up there with the better-ranked opponent until game 11 when Tsitsipas scored a break that sent him 6-5 in front, landing an ace in the next game for a hold at love and 7-5.
From 3-2 down in set number two, Tsitsipas grabbed all the remaining games, breaking Pospisil in the seventh game and finishing the job with another break at 15 at 5-3 for the place in the last four. The 4th seed Denis Shapovalov will have to wait for some other tournament to secure the first semi-final of the season, losing 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to Alexander Bublik in two hours and 17 minutes. Bublik fired 14 aces and fended off eight out of ten break chances, securing three breaks to overpower Denis in the decider and move into the semi-final. Alexander saved all four break chances in the opener and stole it with a break in game 12 when Shapovalov sent a volley long.
In set number two, it was the Canadian who fended off all three break chances, producing a break in game seven and holding at 5-4 with an ace to clinch the set and force a decider. There, Bublik broke in the second game after a terrible smash from Shapovalov who pulled it back in the very next game following a double fault from the Kazakh. A forehand winner sent Alexander 4-3 in front, breaking Denis in the next game thanks to a forehand mistake from the younger opponent and sealing the deal with four winners in game nine to finish the job and stay on the title course.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2SOOfPr
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