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Alexander Bublik and Andy Murray have become familiar opponents this season on the ATP Tour. Their Friday meeting at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open was their fourth of the season, with Bublik securing a split of those matchups with a 7-5, 6-4 victory in Newport.

The Kazakh third seed earned a measure of grass-court revenge after Murray defeated him in straight sets in Stuttgart last month. The Briton went on to advance to the final in Germany, and now Bublik will hope to do the same in Rhode Island, where he reached the title match in 2019.

"It's great to be in the semi-finals again. I never lost before," he said with a smile, alluding to his 1-0 record at that stage in Newport. "I came here only for one week, so I have to [be engaged]. I'm engaged to play, I'm engaged to try to get as many matches as I can."

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Bublik was in command against the former World No. 1, pulling Murray around the court with strong serving and aggressive ground strokes as he won 80 per cent of his first-serve points. While his drop shot was not firing on all cylinders, Bublik did his damage with power rather than touch.

There are days when you just know.

It doesn’t happen often and to be perfectly honest, most of the time it is an educated guess when predicting the future of an athlete.

It was the early '90s in Adelaide, Australia. I’d heard the whispers and chatter. It had started bouncing around tennis circles like a boom-boom Boris Becker serve. A young, skinny blond upstart who came from an elite sporting family was causing quite the stir with his level of play and unique desire to win that not everyone was completely fond of.

His name was Lleyton Hewitt. He was 12 years old.

My doorbell rang and I was expecting him. I knew of his parents Glynn (AFL football) and Cherilyn (Netball), but it was a first meeting, and it left a lasting impression that has stayed entrenched through the years.

Americans William Blumberg and Steve Johnson continued their run on home turf at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open on Friday, scoring a 6-4, 6-4 win against Ramkumar Ramanathan and John-Patrick Smith to advance to the Newport title match.

A single break decided the opening set, with Blumberg/Johnson converting on the only break point of the set. The Americans surrendered an early break advantage in the second but closed out the match by winning its final three games. After their third break of the contest brought up an opportunity to serve for the match at 5-4, the pair won a deciding point to secure its final berth.

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After surviving a Match Tie-break in the opening round, the fourth seeds have now won four consecutive sets on the Rhode Island lawns. They await the winner of Saturday's semi-final, which pits top seeds Raven Klaasen and Marcelo Melo against Americans Robert Galloway and Alex Lawson.

Blumberg, the former North Carolina Tar Heel, is seeking to repeat as the Newport doubles champion. The 24-year-old won the 2021 title alongside Jack Sock for the lone tour-level trophy of his career. Johnson is also seeking his second doubles crown; he paired with Sam Querrey for a Geneva triumph in 2016.

Sebastian Baez advanced to his third tour-level semi-final Friday, overcoming Dominic Thiem 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4 in a hard-fought clash at the Nordea Open in Bastad.

The Argentine soaked up Thiem’s heavy ball striking and recovered from squandering a match point on the Austrian’s serve at 5-4 in the second set to eventually advance after two hours and 51 minutes.

“It was such a tough match. So close,” Baez said in his on-court interview. “Dominic played well today and I hope to see more of him because he is a great player, so I hope he can return to the level we know. I am happy I won today and to stay in the tournament.

“I think we both played well today, I enjoyed the fight. The tournament and the grounds are good, so I am happy to stay here. The people are so nice, I feel comfortable. I now need to recover as best as I can.”

The former World No. 3 Thiem earned his first tour-level win in 14 months when he defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in the first round, before he eliminated fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Pablo Carreno Busta produced one of the best performances of his season Friday, dispatching third seed Diego Schwartzman 6-1, 6-0 to reach the semi-finals at the Nordea Open in Bastad.

The Spaniard, who is making his fourth appearance at the ATP 250 clay-court event, dominated from the baseline as he pulled the Argentine from corner to corner with his heavy hitting to ease through after 67 minutes.

“I played my match of the season,” Carreno Busta said in his on-court interview. “I was very focused all the time, every point. I tried to be aggressive and controlled the points. I didn’t make many mistakes and it was perfect. It is really good to play like this on court with the full crowd. I just need to continue like this.”

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The fifth seed now leads Schwartzman 4-1 in their ATP Head2Head series after defeating the 29-year-old on clay in the semi-finals in Barcelona in April. Carreno Busta is aiming to capture his first tour-level title of the season this week, with his last triumph on Tour coming at an ATP 500 event in Hamburg last July.

John Isner extended his win streak at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open to 10 matches on Thursday with a thrilling 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 7-6(5) quarter-final victory against fifth-seeded Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi. The four-time Newport champion set up an all-American semi-final showdown with Maxime Cressy in a rematch of their Australian Open first-round matchup, in which Cressy battled back from two sets down to advance.

Bonzi saved three match points from 3-6 in the second-set tie-break, then erased another four from 1-6 in the third-set tie-break, including one on a miraculous backhand pass at 4-6. But Isner snatched the win after a strong return on his eighth match point.

"I got off to a good start in the [final] tie-break and I needed every single bit of it, obviously," Isner said post-match. "Eventually I was able to win. That was a crazy match, for sure.

"From 6-1 up to 6-5 after losing two serves, after that passing shot, I was thinking that this probably is not my day, truthfully. Because he played very well at 6-3 in the second-set tie-break as well. It was too good from him. I was able to hit a good return somehow, because I was all discombobulated at 6-5."

The quarter-final scoreline suggests a typical Isner match of few break chances, but that was not the case in a see-saw opening set. As both men struggled to make first serves, with neither surpassing the 60 per cent mark, four breaks of serve preceded the first tie-break.

Andy Murray did not have a match Thursday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open. The former World No. 1 enjoyed a nice surprise in Newport, though. After finishing his practice, the Scot met Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.

“I admire your grit,” Cousins told Murray as they shook hands.

The star quarterback later told ATPTour.com: “That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of him: his grit, toughness, the ability to come back from injury. Tennis is already mentally [difficult] as a singles player, you’re on your own. Matches can get long, you need to dig deep. It can be mentally and emotionally heartbreaking.

“The way he’s handled not only his career, but individual matches, it is inspiring to watch and kind of helps me with what I’m doing.” 

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Maxime Cressy remains perfect on serve through two matches at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open. After not facing a break point in his opening win against Mitchell Krueger, the fourth seed saved three break points on Thursday against Steve Johnson in the quarter-finals.

In a 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4 victory, Cressy turned the match around with a key three-game stretch that spanned the final two sets. After capitalising on his first break chances late in the second, he saved a break point in serving out the set. Cressy broke again to start the decider and did not face a break point in the final set.

"It was actually a very tough first set, a lot of nerves. Playing on the centre court is incredible," Cressy said in his on-court interview. "[Johnson] is a terrific player. He was extremely focussed and sharp on the serve in the first set. I had to stay focussed on my serve, what I can control, and I was really able to do it successfully, especially starting in the second set."

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Cressy handled a nervy moment as he served out the match after two straight double faults turned two match points at 40/15 into deuce. But he stayed aggressive on the next two points, getting to the net behind a pair of second serves to advance to his third semi-final of the 2022 season.

Winning breeds confidence. Just ask Dominic Thiem.

The Austrian backed up his first tour-level win in 14 months with an impressive 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 victory against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open on Thursday.

Thiem, who defeated Emil Ruusuvuori on debut in Bastad earlier this week, played with great intensity and power throughout his two-hour and 41-minute clash against the fourth seed to earn another crucial win.

“It is great to play here,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “It is an amazing atmosphere and I am so happy that I won today so I can have at least another match tomorrow. It was really good.

“The win against Emil gave me confidence that I can compete against the best players in the world and today against Roberto. He is always such a tough opponent. I was expecting and hoping it would be a close match. Then when I won the first set in the tie-break I said ‘Hey, I can win today.’ I had the belief until the end of the match and the third set was really good.”

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini continued their strong season as a team Thursday at the Nordea Open, downing Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1 to reach their fifth tour-level semi-final of the year.

In a dominant performance, the Italians broke five times and won 76 per cent (25/33) of their first-serve points to advance after 65 minutes. The second seeds, who enjoyed a run to the championship match together in Bastad in 2018, will next play Nikola Cacic and Aleksandr Nedovyesov.

Bolelli and Fognini are aiming to capture their second tour-level crown of the season this week, having lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in February.

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Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez showed their fighting qualities, edging Andres Molteni and Hugo Nys 7-5, 5-7, 10-8 in one hour and 59 minutes. The fourth seeds, who captured titles in Marrakech and Mallorca in 2022, will next meet Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the ATP 250 clay-court event.

Andrey Rublev didn’t have things all his own way Thursday, but he stepped up when needed to claw past Federico Coria 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2) and reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open.

The second seed, who is making his debut in Bastad, was made to work hard against the resilient Coria in windy conditions. In a topsy-turvy clash, Rublev recovered from squandering a 5-3 lead in the third set as he raised his intensity in the tie-break, hitting through the Argentine to advance after two hours and 36 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“The conditions were extremely tough to play in. To show a great level,” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “In the end, I am happy that I won. Federico played really well today, especially in the third set when he raised the level. It was really tough to play against, but I am really happy to win.”

The 24-year-old will next face Laslo Djere after the Serbian defeated Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler 7-5, 6-2 to advance to his third tour-level quarter-final of the season.

Rublev is aiming to capture his fourth tour-level title of the season this week at the clay-court event, having lifted trophies in Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade. Following his win over last year’s finalist Coria, the World No. 8 now holds a 9-0 record at ATP 250 tournaments in 2022.

John Isner made a winning return to the Infosys Hall of Fame Open Wednesday. Playing in Newport for the first time since he won consecutive titles in 2018 and 2109, the American extended his win streak to nine matches on the Rhode Island grass with a 6-3, 7-6(6) victory against Peter Gojowczyk.

"I'm very happy. The first match here is always pretty tricky and I haven't played here in a quite a few years," the four-time champion said in his on-court interview. "It's been a while since I've been on this court but I'm very happy to be back on this court. I've won a lot of matches here and I've always had a lot of crowd support.

"It never ever gets old, even though I myself am old," he joked. "At 37 who knows how many more tournaments I'll be playing, how many more Newports I'll be playing. So I really do cherish these moments."

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The second-seeded Isner cruised to the opening set behind an early break, saving one break point of his own along the way as his serve blazed through the hot summer air. But after Germany's Gojowczyk survived a six-deuce service game for 2-1 in the second set, both players raced through clean service games to set up a tie-break.

Andy Murray won a battle of Wimbledon champions Wednesday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport. The two-time singles titlist at SW19 worked hard to find a way past the slice-and-dice game of Max Purcell, who won the Wimbledon doubles title on Saturday alongside Matthew Ebden.

In a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory, Murray needed time to find a way through the unorthodox Purcell, who sliced nearly all of his ground strokes in the two-hour, 23-minute match. The Australian's tactic frustrated his opponent early on the grass court, but after falling behind 1-5 in the opening set, Murray found a way to attack the lack of pace.

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Playing in Newport for the first time since 2006, Murray moved to the brink of victory with a battling hold to make it 4-1 in the third set. He let out a roar when a big serve saved a break point, then celebrated again when an ace sealed the hold — one of his eight in the contest.

Murray appeared to tweak his inner thigh or groin as he slipped to the turf early in the final set, but managed to close out the match despite some discomfort in the final stages.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is currently seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin as he tries to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. On Monday, the Canadian gained special insight into a very different race.

The 21-year-old, who is competing in this week’s Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, visited 11th Hour Racing Team's sailboat and spoke with its co-skipper, Charlie Enright, as he prepares to sail around the world in The Ocean Race 2022-23.

“We just came on a very spectacular sailboat that’s actually preparing to go across the globe next winter, so pretty fascinating to see,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I don’t get to see those kinds of things every day. Charlie, one of the members of the team, who is going to be going around the world, he showed me around the boat.”

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Enright and his team are more than just sailors, though. They raise awareness for ocean health and help educate others on sustainability.

Francisco Cerundolo held off his own nerves and a strong comeback from defending champion Casper Ruud to cause a second-round upset and earn his first Top 10 win at the Nordea Open in Bastad on Wednesday afternoon.

Cerundolo broke Roland Garros finalist Ruud’s serve three times to run out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 winner at the ATP 250 event in Sweden. Despite the World No. 5 Ruud raising his level after a slow start to pile the pressure on the 23-year-old Argentine, Cerundolo clinched a decisive break in the 12th game of the third set to reach the quarter-finals in Bastad for the first time.

“I think I was playing really well in the first one-and-a-half sets, and then I got a little bit tight,” said Cerundolo. “I started missing a little bit and he started serving better. He’s a great player, a French Open finalist, so it was a great challenge for me and I’m really happy to get through.”

A First Top 10 Win! ?@FranCerundolo upsets World No. 5 Casper Ruud with a 6-4 3-6 7-5 win in Bastad#NordeaOpen @NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/Zk7bNOX7O3

Cerundolo and Ruud’s sole previous meeting came in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau in March. The Norwegian was a comfortable straight-sets winner on that occasion, but Cerundolo was clinical at key moments on Wednesday as Ruud struggled to find his rhythm in his first match on clay since he fell to Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros championship match in early June.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini survived a scare to reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open Wednesday, edging Ariel Behar and Tomislav Brkic 7-6(3), 2-6, 10-3 in Bastad.

The second seeds, who enjoyed a run to the final together at the ATP 250 event in 2018, raised their level in the Match Tie-break to ensure they started their title quest with victory, advancing after one hour and 43 minutes.

The Italians are aiming to capture their second tour-level crown of the season as a team this week, having lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in February. They will next play Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa at the clay-court tournament.

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Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez continued their strong season, downing Filip Bergevi and Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-1 to advance to their ninth quarter-final of the year. The fourth seeds captured titles in Marrakech and Mallorca earlier this season.

Playing at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open for the first time since 2006, Andy Murray carried his strong grass-court form into Newport with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Sam Querrey on Tuesday.

"It's obviously amazing to be back here and playing on this court again after 16 years," Murray said in his on-court interview. "A lot has happened in that time: four kids, married and all that stuff. But I'm happy to be back." 

After falling to another big-serving American in John Isner in the Wimbledon second round, the 35-year-old  beat Querrey on his opponent's home turf to return to winning ways. The sixth-seeded Briton improved to 6-2 on the grass this season, including a run to the Stuttgart semi-finals last month, when he lost to eventual champion Matteo Berrettini.

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Murray was a perfect six-for-six on his break chances in the match as he dragged Querrey into rallies on return throughout the 54-minute contest. The Briton dropped serve in the opening game of the match but was firmly in control beyond that, coping with the blustery conditions far better than his opponent. 

Andres Molteni and Hugo Nys earned victory on their team debut Tuesday, overcoming Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at the Nordea Open in Bastad.

The Argentine-French tandem saved both break points they faced to advance after 74 minutes. They will next play fourth seeds Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez or Lukasz Kubot and Filip Bergevi.

Fabrice Martin and Franko Skugor provided the shock of the day, upsetting top seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop 7-6(3), 6-3. The French-Croatian pair, who were playing together for the first time, won 81 per cent (38/47) of first-serve points to triumph.

In other action, Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa defeated Aslan Karatsev and Philipp Oswald 7-6(3), 7-6(5), while Marc-Andrea Huesler backed up his singles win over Holger Rune by teaming with Pavel Kotov to eliminate Leo Borg and Elias Ymer 6-1, 6-4 in 55 minutes.

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It has been a long wait, but Dominic Thiem is a winner on the ATP Tour once again.

The former World No. 3 battled to a 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5) first-round victory against Emil Ruusuvuori on Tuesday afternoon at the Nordea Open in Bastad. It was the Austrian’s first tour-level win for 14 months, nine of which the 2020 US Open champion spent out of action due to a wrist injury.

“It’s a long time,” said Thiem in his on-court interview. “My last victory was in Rome in 2021, it feels like a different world somehow. Many, many things happened. It was tough, but it was also a very good experience, I think, for life in general. I’m so happy that I got this first victory here today.”

Thiem was under pressure early against the World No. 43 Ruusuvuori in the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting. The Finn raced to an unassailable 5-1 lead in the opening set, but Thiem raised his level to roar back into contention by reeling off five games in a row in the second set to level proceedings.

Despite some nervous moments in the deciding-set tie-break, Thiem stayed solid to clinch just his second win at any level in 2022 having saved eight from 12 break points against the clean-hitting Finn.

Steve Johnson, the 2018 Infosys Hall of Fame Open champion, made a good start to his pursuit of a second Newport title on Monday.

The American defeated countryman Stefan Kozlov 7-5, 6-3 to reach the second round at the final tour-level grass-court event of the season.

"[My level was] decent when it needed to be decent and average when it needed to be better. I thought I played well at the end of sets, but there was a stretch there in the middle of both sets that I didn't like the way I was playing and executing," Johnson said. "But when you're not doing that and you still get a win, that's a good sign."

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This was the fourth time this year at all levels that Johnson and Kozlov have clashed. After Kozlov took the first two meetings, Johnson has now claimed two in a row, with both coming on grass.