Becker Closes On Title Defence; Stakhovsky Reaches First Semi-final Of 2010

© Edwin VerhoefJanko Tipsarevic is through to the semi-finals in 's-Hertogenbosch.

Defending champion Benjamin Becker is two wins away from regaining his UNICEF Open title after defeating fellow German Simon Greul 6-3, 6-1 Thursday in the quarter-finals of the ATP World Tour 250 grass-court tennis tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The eighth-seeded Becker trailed 1-3 in the first set, but hit back to win five games in a row to seal a one-set lead. He then broke serve in the fourth and sixth games of the second set before serving out victory to love after just 52 minutes. The German fired seven aces, including one on match point.

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World No. 48 Becker is through to his second semi-final in a row after last week reaching the final four on grass in Halle, losing out to eventual champion Lleyton Hewitt. The right-hander, who celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday, qualified into the main draw in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last year and defeated Raemon Sluiter to win his first ATP World Tour title.

For a place in the final, Becker will face seventh-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, who capitalised on all three of his break points in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Australian Peter Luczak.

Tipsarevic is through to his second ATP World Tour semi-final of the season, after opening the year by reaching the final four at the Chennai Open. Prior to the UNICEF Open, the Serbian had dropped six straight matches beginning with a quarter-final loss to Mikhail Youzhny in February at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

World No. 51 Tipsarevic will be looking to reach his second tour-level final after finishing runner-up at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow last year (l. to Youzhny).

World No. 71 Sergiy Stakhovsky reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final of the year on Thursday as he cruised past Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the UNICEF Open, an ATP World Tour 250 grass-court tennis tournament in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

The Ukrainian broke serve to love in the sixth game as he sealed the first set in 30 minutes. In the second set, though, he was forced to rally from a 1-4 deficit before winning the last five games in a row to secure victory in 69 minutes.

The 24-year-old Stakhovsky next will face Xavier Malisse as he bids to reach his first ATP World Tour final since winning his second title at the St. Petersburg Open (d. Zeballos) in October.

Malisse, like Stakhovsky, will contest his first ATP World Tour semi-final of the season after battling past another Colombian, Alejandro Falla, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in one hour and 48 minutes. The Belgian, a quarter-finalist last week on grass at The Queen’s Club, saved nine of 12 break points.