RIO DE JANEIRO — Top-seeded defending champion Dominic Thiem of Austria tumbled out of the Rio Open Friday, falling 6-4, 6-0 to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals of the clay-court event.
Thiem won the Argentina Open Sunday for his ninth career title.
Verdasco will play fifth-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy or Alijaz Bedene of Slovenia.
In the other semifinal at Jockey Club Brasileiro, sixth-seeded Diego Schwartzman of Argentina will face Chile’s Nicolas Jarry. Schwartzman beat France’s Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-4, and Jarry topped Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas 7-5, 6-3.
Shapovalov in semifinals
Canadian teenager Denis Shapovalov beat Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-4 Friday, but had to wait to find out who he’ll face in the semifinals of the ATP Delray Beach Open.
Shapovalov, ranked 46th in the world, is vying to become the first 18-year-old since Japan’s Kei Nishikori at Delray Beach in 2000 to win an ATP Tour title.
He’ll face either eighth-seeded Chung Hyeon of South Korea or US wildcard Frances Tiafoe for a place in the final.
But first, Tiafoe and surprise Australian Open semifinalist Chung will have to complete their rain-disrupted contest, which was halted with Tiafoe leading 5-7, 6-4, 5-3.
Organizers waited several hours to try to get the contest completed, finally calling off play for the day after midnight.
The two were scheduled to return on Saturday afternoon to complete their match, which will be followed by the first semi-final between Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk and American Steve Johnson, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Russian Evgeny Donskoy.
Shapovalov and either Tiafoe or Chung will then meet Saturday night.
Chung is the last seed left in the field, trying to buck an upset trend that claimed top seed and defending champion Jack Sock as well as second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro.
With many up-and-coming players reaching the quarterfinals, Shapovalov said it “almost feels like a junior tournament”.
Shapovalov saved both break points he faced against Fritz, wrapping up the victory in one hour and 16 minutes.
In the other half of the draw, Gojowczyk defeated Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Gojowczyk’s victory followed his three-set triumph over sixth-seeded American John Isner, while Opelka was coming off an upset of Sock.
Pouille, Berdych in last 4
Third-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille and fourth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych advanced to the Open 13 semifinals Friday.
Pouille beat eighth-seeded Filip Krajinovic of Serbia 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4, hitting 20 aces and securing victory on his first match point when he broke Krajinovic’s serve for the first time.
Berdych led 7-6 (4) when seventh-seeded Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia-Herzegovina pulled out feeling sickly.
“He was ill all night, it can’t be easy to play in the shape he was in,” Berdych said. “I was in the same situation last week.”
Pouille is looking for his second straight title after winning the Open Sud de France two weeks ago and plays 193rd-ranked qualifier Ilya Ivashka of Belarus in the semifinals. Berdych will face Karen Khachanov of Russia, who beat Berdych in the second round of the French Open last year.
In their quarterfinals, Khachanov had 16 aces in beating local Julien Benneteau 6-4, 6-4, while Ivashka beat another Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Mahut saved 10 of 13 break points against Ivashka, who had 13 aces. — Agencies
