Chris O’Connell will face No.1 seed Holger Rune within the second ATP-level semifinal of his profession, and first on clay, in Munich.
Munich, Germany, 22 April 2023 | AAP / Tennis Australia
Munich, Germany
Chris O’Connell has gained a struggle of attrition on the Munich clay to succeed in the second ATP Tour semifinal of his skilled profession on the BMW Open.
Contemporary from his career-best conquer German hero Alexander Zverev on Thursday, O’Connell adopted up 24 hours later by prevailing 7-6 (5) 4-6 6-3 in a quarterfinal dogfight with Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli.
It had been a freezing lunchtime when he downed Olympic champ Zverev, however the solar was out on Friday as O’Connell needed to dig deep in opposition to the 20-year-old Cobolli, already a conqueror of one other Sydneysider Jordan Thompson earlier within the occasion.
The 28-year-old prevailed after almost two-and-a-half hours, overcoming a second-set letdown when he gave the impression to be struggling bodily earlier than summoning new reserves of vitality within the decider.
First ATP semi-final on clay 🙌
Christopher O’Connell defeats Flavio Cobolli 7-6(5) 4-6 6-3 to succeed in the semis at #BMWOpenbyAmex pic.twitter.com/kDYmueOyGV
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 21, 2023
O’Connell had additionally been in bother within the hour-long opening set, having to avoid wasting three set factors at 4-5 down earlier than ultimately taking the tiebreak when Cobolli supplied up a double fault at set level down.
It offered world No.82 O’Connell along with his first style of last-four motion in a tour-level occasion since he reached the semifinals in San Diego final September. It will likely be his first semifinal on clay.
A victory would transport O’Connell not solely to his first closing but additionally to a career-high rating.
He’ll face a tricky task in opposition to Denmark’s in-form defending champ Holger Rune, who disposed of Chile’s Cristian Garin 6-2 6-4 in fairly ruthless trend.
Now at a career-high world N0.7, Rune claimed his maiden occasion on the 2022 Munich match.
The 19-year-old was additionally a finalist ultimately week’s Monte Carlo Masters however admitted after outplaying Garin: “I’ve performed lots of matches, so the physique is perhaps not ideally suited.”
Aussies in motion – Munich
RESULTS
Males’s singles, quarterfinals
Christopher O’Connell (AUS) d [Q] Flavio Cobolli (ITA)
COMING UP
Males’s singles, semifinals
Christopher O’Connell (AUS) v [1] Holger Rune (DEN) 7-6(5) 4-6 6-3
O’Connell cruises via… 🛳
He takes out Cobolli to safe his spot within the semi-finals 🙌
@BMWOpen23 | #bmwopenbyamex pic.twitter.com/UZ5iF67d4t— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 21, 2023
Barcelona, Spain
In Barcelona, O’Connell’s fellow Sydneysider Alex de Minaur bowed out to No.2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The Greek dominated on the internet, profitable 17 factors there, as he claimed a 6-2 6-4 victory in 81 minutes.
There was higher information for Australian hopes in doubles as Matt Ebden and his Indian companion Rohan Bopanna progressed to the semifinals after victory over Mexican-French mixture Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Aussies in motion – Barcelona
RESULTS
Males’s singles quarterfinals
[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas [8] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 6-4 6-2
Males’s doubles quarterfinals
Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Matt Ebden (AUS) d Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) /Eduoard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 6-2 -4
COMING UP
Males’s doubles, semifinals
Rohan Bopanna (IND)/Matt Ebden (AUS) v [1] Wesley Koolhof (NED)/Neal Skupski (GBR)
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