ATP Cincinnati: Roberto Bautista Agut dethrones Medvedev to set Novak Djokovic clash

World no. 12 Roberto Bautista Agut grabbed his 709th Masters 1000 victory on Wednesday, dethroning Daniil Medvedev 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 13 minutes. The Spaniard will compete in his third Masters 1000 semi-final and the first since Shanghai 2016 when he lost in the final to Andy Murray, facing world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in the next round. At the beginning of the 2017 season in Chennai, Roberto defeated Daniil in the final, having to wait for more than three and a half hours to share the court again in New York. The Russian played on a high level in the opener but couldn't bring the encounter home despite having the advantage in sets two and three. They both won 88 points, staying neck and neck all the time despite some loose service games in the second and third sets, struggling to find the rhythm behind the initial shot against a rock-solid returner on the other side of the net.

The Spaniard fended off 15 out of 20 break chances, six out of seven in the decider to cross the finish line first, earning five breaks from 11 opportunities made on the return. Medvedev had 27 winners and 32 unforced errors, producing more efficient numbers than his rival (22-43) but wasting his chances in the pivotal moments. They both hit only 12% of service winners, battling from the baseline in almost every point and embracing 100 rallies with more than four strokes! Medvedev held at love in the first game and grabbed a break in the next one, converting the fourth opportunity to open a 2-0 gap after a double fault from Bautista Agut. Daniil fended off two break chances with winners in the third game, forcing an error from Roberto in game four to break him at love and forge a 4-0 advantage. The Russian closed the opener with a service winner in the seventh game, taking the opener 6-1 in 28 minutes.

Roberto Bautista Agut came from a set down to beat Daniil Medvedev. 

The second set offered five breaks and a massive chance for Medvedev to seal the deal in straight sets and remain on the title course. Bautista Agut survived a tough opening game and broke at love in game four for a 3-1 lead. Medvedev pulled the break back straight away, moving 4-3 in front with the second consecutive return game, taking a big step towards the finish line. Serving in game eight, the Russian wasted a colossal chance to remain ahead, suffering a break and losing the set after another Spaniard's break at 5-4. They traded breaks at the beginning of the final set, and it was Medvedev who had six more opportunities in three different return games, squandering them all and allowing his rival to move in front with a break in game six. Serving at 4-2, Bautista Agut fended off three break chances, rattling off five straight points and serving for the match in game nine. The Spaniard repelled two break points, sealing the deal on the second match point with a service winner to join Novak Djokovic in the semis. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3gs6N0I