MEN’S TENNIS TOUR NEWS KUALA LUMPUR AND SHENZHEN: GULBIS, BENNETEAU REACH SEMIFINALS BY RICKY DIMON

Ernests Gulbis and Julien Benneteau will face each other for the third time this season on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur after scoring respective quarterfinal victories on Friday. Gulbis got past Benjamin Becker 6-3, 7-5. Benneteau, the Malaysian Open runner-up in both 2012 and 2013, outlasted Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4.

 

Kuala Lumpur summary

 

Gulbis held all 11 of his service games and saved all three of the break points he faced to see off Becker in one hour and 18 minutes. Benneteau won a back-and-forth thriller against Cuevas in which the Frenchman led by a set and a break in the second only to eventually find himself trailing by a break in the third. Cuevas even had a break point to go two breaks up in the decider before Benneteau’s comeback.

 

“Today was much better,” said Gulbis, who had needed three sets against Philipp Petzschner in his tournament opener. “When I broke [Becker] in the second set, I played three unbelievable points. I’m finding my game.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other semifinal will pit No. 1 seed Kei Nishikori against Jarkko Nieminen. Nishikori crushed Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 6-0, while Nieminen ousted seventh-seeded Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-4.

 

Shenzhen summary

 

Juan Monaco picked up one of his biggest victories of the year by upsetting No. 3 seed Richard Gasquet 7-6(7), 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Shenzhen Open on Friday. Monaco’s reward is a date with second seed Andy Murray, who took care of Lukas Lacko 6-3, 7-5. Murray fought off all four of the break points he faced–three in the first set and one more in the second.

 

An all-seeded semifinal on Saturday will feature No. 4 Tommy Robredo and No. 6 Santiago Giraldo. Robredo needed two hours and 36 minutes to survive Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. The Spaniard held all 16 of his service games while facing just a single break point. Giraldo dismissed qualifier Viktor Troicki 7-6(6), 6-3 despite firing only one ace to Troicki’s nine.

 

Briefs

 

* Nishikori storms into semifinals, can pass Raonic for No. 7 with title.

* Nieminen tops Andujar to reach semis, into top 50 and top 45 with one more win.

* Benneteau edges Cuevas, needs one more win to defend points and stay top 30.

* Gulbis on a roll in Kuala Lumpur, but will remain No. 13 regardless of result.

* Giraldo assures top 30 spot, can move into top 25 with Shenzhen title.

* Robredo into semifinals, will reach top 20 with title.

* Monaco likely up at least 14 places, will gain top 80 with final.

* Murray eases into last four, will stay at No. 11 regardless of result.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Atp, Ernests Gulbis, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Open, Ricky Dimon, Shenzhen, Tennis

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