Bautista Agut Upsets Berdych; Tipsarevic Sets Up Bedene Chennai SF

© Aircel Chennai OpenAlijaz Bedene has reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final.

Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, competing against a player in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time, recorded the biggest win of his career on Friday at the Aircel Chennai Open.

Bautista Agut, the World No. 80, withstood 11 aces from World No. 6 Tomas Berdych for a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win in two hours and 18 minutes during the evening session. The 24 year old is through to his first ATP World Tour semi-final.

“He played really well and deserved to win,” said Berdych. “I need to work on playing better. I was fighting with myself throughout the match. I had a lot of chances.”

Bautista Agut will next play fifth-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire, who battled hard to beat third seed and 2009-10 champion Marin Cilic of Croatia 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 in one hour and 54 minutes. Cilic dropped to 14-3 lifetime at the ATP World Tour 250 hard-court tournament.

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Second-seeded Serbian and last year’s runner-up Janko Tipsarevic will play Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia on Saturday for a place in the final. Tipsarevic cruised past eighth-seeded Japanese Go Soeda 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals for the third straight year. The World No. 9 compiled a 57-28 match record last year.

“It was much tougher than the score seemed,” said Tipsarevic. “I knew that I am playing good tennis, so if I was patient and held my serve, the break point chances would come. I served better in the second set.”

Bedene, the youngest player left in the draw at 23 years, 5 months, advanced to his first ATP World Tour semi-final when he overcame fourth-seeded Swiss and 2011 titlist Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 7-6(6). It was his first win over an opponent in the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“He was a better player on the court,” said Wawrinka. “I didn’t really know him, but I knew he’d play good tennis. Today, I didn’t play my best tennis, but in the first tournament of the year it is never easy.”