VIENNA/BASEL : Top seed Alexander Zverev and second seed Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Friday, keeping alive the prospect of a final showdown between the two leading contenders.
Germany’s Zverev, seeking his third title of the year, swept past Britain’s Arthur Fery 6-0 6-2, while Spaniard Alcaraz overcame seventh seed Tommy Paul 6-4 7-6(2) to move within two wins of his fourth trophy of the season.
Third seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia and fifth seed Alex de Minaur of Australia stand in their way of a 14th career meeting.
Medvedev defeated France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-2 6-3, while de Minaur beat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 7-6(4) 6-2.
Zverev will face de Minaur in Saturday’s semi-final, with Alcaraz taking on Medvedev.
Alcaraz saved all five break points he faced against Paul and secured the only break of the opening set in the seventh game. The Spaniard then fended off two break points in the eighth game of the second set before winning four consecutive points early in the tiebreak to seal victory.
Fritz advances after Fils retirement in Basel
At the Swiss Indoors in Basel, sixth seed Taylor Fritz became the highest-ranked seed remaining after second seed Arthur Fils retired with an injury while trailing 6-2 2-0.
Fils had been struggling with back problems but said he felt pain in one leg during a movement early in the match and was unable to continue.
The Frenchman’s fitness concerns could affect the ATP Finals qualification race, with Fils currently seventh in the standings. De Minaur, Novak Djokovic and Fritz are ranked 10th, 11th and 12th respectively and remain in contention for the season-ending tournament.
Fritz will face Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals after Vacherot defeated Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-3 3-6 6-3. Rune is continuing his comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The other semi-final will feature eighth seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Lehecka ended the run of Swiss 23-year-old Jerome Kym with a 6-4 6-2 victory, while Struff eased past Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-2 6-3.
