BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Umusad sa semifinals sina Rafael Nadal at Andy Murray sa magkaibang pamamaatan nitong Biyernes (Sabado sa Manila).
Magaang na dinispatsa ng defending champion na si Nadal si Hyeon Chung ng South Korea 7-6 (1), 6-2, habang puwersado si Murray para magapi si Albert Ramos-Vinolas ng Spain 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Napipitong makaulit si Ramos-Vinolas ng panalo kay Murray, tinalo niya sa third round sa Monte Carlo Master may isang linggo na ang nakalilipas, ngunit sa pagkakataong ito nagpakatatag ang top-ranked British player.
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“It was very similar to the match in Monte Carlo, except in that match I was the one who had chances, and today he had more chances to win,” pahayag ni Murray. “I feel like I was a little more aggressive at the end of the second and third sets and then played a good tiebreak.”
Makakaharap ni Murray si fourth-seeded Dominic Thiem ng Austria, nagwagi kay lucky loser Yuichi Sugita ng Japan 6-1, 6-2.
Target ni Nadal ang ika-10 titulo sa Barcelona at hindi niya hinayaang madiktahan ng karibal.
“He has good potential, great backhand and very quick. He has all the right things to be a good player. He had chances in the first set and I’m happy that I started to play better after the first six games,” sambit ni Nadal, sunod na makakaharap si Horacio Zeballos ng Argentina, nagwagi kay Karen Khachanov of Russia 6-4, 6-1.
Target ni Zeballos na makausad sa ATP final sa unang pagkakataon mula noong 2012 sa Vina del Mar.
