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Despite a late twist, Roberto Bautista Agut marched on at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel with a 6-3, 7-6(3) semi-final victory against fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Friday afternoon.

The third seed appeared to be cruising to his third ATP Tour final of the season when leading Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 5-2 with a double break advantage in the second set. Despite letting slip three match points at 5-4 as Ramos-Vinolas roared back into the match with some aggressive baseline striking, Bautista Agut regained his composure to convert his first match point of the second-set tie-break for a two-hour, four-minute win

“It was a really tough end,” said Bautista Agut after the match. “I served two times for the match but unfortunately, I could not win. At 5-4 I had three match points and he played very well, so I’m very happy about this tough win on this surface.”

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With the win, Bautista Agut reached his first ATP Tour final on clay since he fell to Matteo Berrettini in the 2018 championship match in Gstaad. The Spaniard is chasing his second title of the season after he clinched his 10th tour-level crown in Doha in February.

Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara continued their productive summer on the European clay as the British-Finnish pairing cruised to the semi-finals at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Thursday.

The third seeds broke the serve of wild card pairing Mili Poljicak and Nino Serdarusic twice in each set to clinch a 6-3, 6-3 victory that extended their winning streak to six after they clinched a maiden ATP Tour title in Hamburg last week. Glasspool and Heliovaara will bid to keep that run going at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Croatia in a semi-final showdown against second seeds Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez.

Top seeds Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini also advanced on Thursday but were made to work hard before they prevailed 7-6, 6-7(6), 10-7 against Antonio Sancic and Franko Skugor. Bolelli and Fognini’s semi-final opponents will be Gstaad champions Tomislav Brkic and Francisco Cabral, who saw off Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow, 6-4, 7-5.

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Kubler/Peers Win All-Aussie Clash
At the Atlanta Open, Jason Kubler and John Peers upset Wimbledon champions Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 4-6, 7-6(0), 10-6 to book a semi-final spot at the ATP 250 hard-court event.

Jenson Brooksby won a battle of Northern Californians on Thursday at the Atlanta Open, downing Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the his second quarter-final of the season.

The 21-year-old from Sacramento is back at home on the American hard courts as he looks to repeat his February run to the Dallas final.

"I've trained on [hard courts] my whole life, so just the reps on it makes [confidence] a guarantee for now," Brooksby said of his comfort level on the surface. "I'm really excited to have the hard-court season right now coming up and see what I can do."

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"We're good friends... I knew it would definitely be a good match out there, a good battle, and it was," he said post-match. "I thought my focus again today was pretty good, so I'm just looking forward to keeping it up."

The pressure of playing as defending champion appears to suit Carlos Alcaraz.

A year ago, the #NextGenATP Spaniard lifted his maiden ATP Tour title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. On Thursday, Alcaraz raced past Norbert Gombos 6-2, 6-3 on his return to the clay-court ATP 250 event in Croatia.

Despite the straightforward scoreline, however, Alcaraz was tested on his own serve by the World No. 117 Gombos. The Spaniard was forced to fend off seven break points in his win and converted four of his own 12 opportunities to reach his eighth quarter-final of the year.

“It was a really tough match,” said Alcaraz afterwards. “It wasn’t as easy as the result seems. Norbert played a really good game and the first round of every tournament is never easy, so I had to get used to the conditons. It was tough for me, but at the end I found a way to play better and get the win.”

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Despite a stern test on Thursday, Roberto Bautista Agut’s momentum is building at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel.

The Spaniard was under pressure early from #NextGenATP Czech Jiri Lehecka in the pair’s quarter-final clash at the ATP 250 event in Austria, but the third seed dug deep to prevail 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in an absorbing two-hour, 56-minute encounter and reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Both players enjoyed success in their return games, with Bautista Agut converting six from 13 break points and Lehecka five from nine. Bautista Agut took his chance in the 12th game of the deciding set, however, converting his third match point of the game on the Lehecka serve to complete a hard-earned win.

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Bautista Agut will next face fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in Kitzbühel, after the Spaniard earlier defeated countryman Pedro Martinez 6-4, 6-2.

Second seeds Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez used a pair of late-set charges to secure a quarter-final victory on Wednesday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The Brazilian-Spanish pairing earned a 6-4, 7-5 result against Nicolas Barrientos and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela behind breaks of serve in the penultimate game of each set.

The pair was broken just once in the match, at 4-3 in the opening set, but an instant response restored the break advantage. They did not face a break point in the second set.

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Matos and Vega Hernandez saved a match point in their opening-round victory against Albano Olivetti and Fernando Romboli but avoided any such drama in the quarter-finals. The lone team through to the semi-finals in Umag, they await the winner of the matchup pitting third seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara against Mili Poljicak and Nino Serdarusic.

In second-round action, Tomislav Brkic and Francisco Cabral upset fourth seeds Andrey Golubev and Maximo Gonzalez 6-4, 7-6(3), while the Croatian team of Antonio Sancic and Franko Skugor downed Slovakians Alex Molcan and Igor Zelenay 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-3.

When ATP Tour titlists celebrate their championships, they often pose for a series of photos with their team, family and friends. On Sunday, Casper Ruud added global music icon Shania Twain to his list.

Twain, a country music legend, started a flurry of discussion on social media Monday when she posted a photo of herself on court with Ruud following the Norwegian's triumph in the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad final.

“Spent my Sunday watching Casper Ruud win his second Swiss Open Gstaad,” Twain wrote on Twitter. “Congratulations my friend, what a result!”

Spent my Sunday watching Casper Ruud win his second @SwissOpenGstaad! Congratulations my friend, what a result! ?? pic.twitter.com/lQhHuGax4g

Last year, Twain attended the ATP 250 for the semi-finals and the final, which Ruud won. The Norwegian’s family met the singer through mutual friends, so she returned for another visit to the tournament this edition. Fittingly, Ruud again lifted the trophy.

#NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima won the match of the day on Wednesday at the Atlanta Open, saving three set points in the first-set tie-break en route to a 7-6(8), 6-4 victory against John Millman.

Playing in his first event since pushing Nick Kyrgios to a fifth set in the Wimbledon fourth round, the returning Atlanta finalist advanced to his third quarter-final of the 2022 season.

"A lot of long rallies out there and court conditions were tough as always here in Atlanta, but luckily I was able to squeeze that first set out," said the 20-year-old. "Then I was lucky to get an early break in the second set and ride that out until the end.”

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Nakashima led the tie-break 3/0 before falling behind 4/6, but escaped to take command of the match. The eighth seed scored the lone break of the contest midway through set two as he improved his Atlanta record to 6-1.

Jannik Sinner needed six match points to break the stubborn resistance of Jaume Munar on Wednesday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, with the drama peaking as the Italian battled through six deuces to serve out a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Playing for the first time since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat against Novak Djokovic, Sinner continued his high level of play to down Munar in the pair's first ATP Head2Head meeting. He is through to the quarter-finals at the clay-court ATP 250, where he will face Roberto Carballes Baena.

"It was very tough at the end, but I'm happy that I am into the next round," Sinner said post-match, before addressing the many Italians in the Umag crowd. "It's never easy when you come back after some time that you don't play a match. I knew it would be tough... In the beginning I was tight, also in the end a little bit. But it's part of the progress and hopefully in the next round I can play better."

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Both players hit top gear for stretches in the nearly two-hour contest, but Sinner was always in control as he never trailed in either set. With both players making just more than 50 per cent of first serves, the match included many lengthy rallies, providing ample opportunity for both men to showcase their shotmaking abilities.

Dominic Thiem is quietly working his way back into form.

The Austrian was tested on Wednesday, but battled past countryman Sebastian Ofner 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Open in Kitzbühel. The former World No. 3 has now advanced to at least the last eight in three consecutive weeks.

"It was an unbelievable atmosphere once again. Great afternoon to play tennis again and really happy to get the win. Obviously it was very different conditions to yesterday. It's not easy to make the change and as well against [Ofner], we know each other very well, practising together a lot of times," Thiem said in his on-court interview. "It was a great, great fight at the end and happy to be through."

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Before arriving in Bastad less than three weeks ago, Thiem had not won a tour-level match in 2022 as he struggled to discover his best level after returning from a wrist injury in March. But the 28-year-old has now won seven of his past nine matches. 

Nick Kyrgios was set for his first singles match since the Wimbledon final on Tuesday night at the Atlanta Open, but the fan-favourite Aussie was forced to withdraw from his opening-round match with a left-knee problem.

The seventh seed was set to take on Peter Gojowczyk on the stadium court, but was instead replaced by lucky loser Adrian Mannarino. The 2016 champion in Atlanta, Kyrgios addressed the evening-session crowd after his withdrawal.

"First of all, I just want to say I'm extremely shattered that I'm not able to compete tonight," he said. "I've won this tournament once and I'm playing probably some of the best tennis of my career. All I wanted to do was come out here and give you guys a show, but I'm unable to give my best performance today. 

"I'm just extremely sorry, but I'm going to keep my hopes up and maybe be able to continue doubles with Thanasi this week."

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Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, the reigning Australian Open doubles champions, earned a first-round victory on Monday night against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. 

Fresh off winning his first ATP Tour title in Hamburg, #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti remained in top form at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Tuesday. The 20-year-old earned a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win against Slovakia's Aljaz Bedene.

"I think I learned a lot from last week," Musetti said post-match. "I think I grew up as a human being, as a professional player. There were a lot of difficult moments in this match, but I arrived in a positive way.

"That's why I won today, because Aljaz was playing really good, especially in the second set and the beginning of the third. So it was not easy for me to find a way to break his game."

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Entering Umag at a career-high of No. 31 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Musetti picked up where he left off in his Hamburg final victory against Carlos Alcaraz. The Italian eased to the opening set as he showcased his variety from all parts of the court before Bedene snapped back in the second set, overcoming an early break deficit as he hit through the court with his power game.

Jenson Brooksby made a perfect Atlanta Open debut on Tuesday when he eliminated Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-1 to reach the second round.

"It feels really nice to be back in the States," Brooksby said. "Always after two, three weeks off of matches it feels good to get a win under your belt and I thought that was a really solid match to start and I've been training really well too, so I'm excited with the path I'm on right now."

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The American got off to a quick start to his season, reaching the final in Dallas and winning three matches each at ATP Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells and Miami. But he went 5-8 during the clay and grass seasons.

While the 21-year-old used that as a learning experience, he is happy to be back on the hard courts.

Up a break in the third set, it seemed Richard Gasquet was well on a track to victory on Tuesday in Kitzbühel, but Sebastian Ofner never gave up and that paid dividends for the Austrian.

The qualifier clawed past former World No. 7 Gasquet 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 after two hours and 34 minutes to reach the second round of the Generali Open. Ofner will next play countryman Dominic Thiem, the former World No. 3, or lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko.

Ofner owns an 11-13 tour-level record, but he is now 6-4 in Kitzbühel, where in 2017 he advanced to the semi-finals. The 26-year-old showed no fear of the moment competing in front of his home fans, taking full advantage of poor shot selection by Gasquet at the end of the match with a flurry of rushes to net to dispose of drop shots, also painting the line with shots at critical moments.

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The No. 235 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings saved eight of the 12 break points he faced in his first ATP Head2Head meeting with Gasquet. 

Germans Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies have already lifted trophies in Barcelona and Munich this season. On Tuesday, they made a good start towards earning a third crown in 2022.

The two-time Roland Garros champions defeated Spaniards Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Carlos Taberner 6-3, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Open in Kitzbühel. The second seeds will next play Monagesque-Polish team Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski. This is the first time Krawietz and Mies have competed together in Kitzbühel.

In other doubles action at the Austrian ATP 250, home favourites Neil Oberleitner and Jurij Rodionov upset third seeds Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-4, 3-6, 11-9. Other teams that advanced were Dutch-Austrian duo Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald, Frenchmen Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul, and Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Bart Stevens.

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Second Seeds Survive Tough Test In Umag
Brazilian-Spanish pair Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez have captured three tour-level crowns together this year, but on Tuesday they nearly lost in the first round at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The second seeds found a way to win though, clawing past Frenchman Albano Olivetti and Brazilian Fernando Romboli 3-6, 6-3, 11-9 to reach the quarter-finals in Umag.

Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock competed together in an ATP Tour event for the first time on Monday. That did not stop them from producing a nearly flawless performance.

The Americans ousted Mexico's Hans Hach Verdugo and India's Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the Atlanta Open quarter-finals without facing a break point. The third seeds won 93 per cent of their first-serve points to triumph after 53 minutes.

Ram's full-time doubles partner is Joe Salisbury, the current No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. If Ram and Sock win the Atlanta title, Ram will have the same number of ranking points as Salisbury on Monday. Since he will have played fewer tournaments to earn those points, Ram would become the new doubles World No. 1.

In other Atlanta doubles action, American wild cards Christopher Eubanks and Mackenzie McDonald clawed past Frenchmen Quentin Halys and Adrian Mannarino 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-8.

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One year ago, Brandon Nakashima reached his second ATP Tour final at the Atlanta Open. This edition, the #NextGenATP American will try to go one step further.

The 20-year-old made a good start on Monday when he battled past Australian Jordan Thompson 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 after two hours and 12 minutes. The eighth seed earned his first break of the match in the third set, and that was enough to move on at Atlantic Station.

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Thompson is a familiar foe for Nakashima, as they have now played each other four times in the past 53 weeks, including twice in Atlanta. On this occasion, it was the American who advanced and took a 3-1 lead in their ATP Head2Head series. He will next play another Australian: John Millman or Alexei Popyrin.

Nakashima, who is trying to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, began the week eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan.

At the fifth time of trying, Giulio Zeppieri is a main draw winner on the ATP Tour.

The #NextGenATP Italian rallied to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 first-round victory against Pedro Cachin at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Monday. The 20-year-old needed five match points to complete his victory, but kept his cool to serve out for a one-hour, 54-minute win against the World No. 90.

“It’s a very emotional moment for me, my first win on the ATP Tour,” said Zeppieri in his on-court interview. “I’m very proud of myself because I beat a very good guy in Pedro, and I’m very happy.”

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Zeppieri showed good form on clay earlier this year, defeating Alex Molcan and Maxime Cressy to qualify for the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome before qualifying for his first Grand Slam main draw at Roland Garros.

After starting the year with some top-class displays on hard courts, has the time come for Jiri Lehecka to make a breakthrough on the clay?

The #NextGenATP Czech may have done things the hard way in his 7-6(6), 6-4 first-round victory against Thiago Monteiro at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel on Monday, but a dominant serving performance ultimately helped the 20-year-old seal a debut win at the ATP 250 event in Austria.

Lehecka let slip a 3-0 lead in the first set and later had to fend off a Monteiro set point at 5/6 in a close-fought first-set tie-break, but he retained his composure to complete a one-hour, 46-minute win, having fired 10 aces and won 82 per cent (31/38) of points behind his first delivery.

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The 20-year-old charged to a maiden tour-level semi-final in February as a qualifier at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 event in Rotterdam, where he upset Denis Shapovalov, Botic van de Zandschulp and Lorenzo Musetti. Lehecka, who currently sits sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan, will hope for a similarly deep run in Austria to boost his chances of qualifying for November’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals.