World No. 21 Hubert Hurkacz sees off Andrey Rublev in three sets at the ABN AMRO Open to achieve his 21st tour-level semifinal, his first in Rotterdam on Friday night.
A late showing saw former world number six Hubert Hurkacz rallying from a set down to beat fourth seed Andrey Rublev 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 38 minutes to reach his first semifinal at the ABN AMRO Open in six appearances.
On Saturday, the Pole player will face top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who put out compatriot Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-1 earlier in the day.
The four-time Grand Slam champion is chasing his maiden title indoors at the ATP 500 tournament staged in the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena.
The Spaniard leads Poland’s No.1 racquet 3-0 in their series.
The Match as It Happened
In a first set decided by small margins, the 2021 champion got the better of Hurkacz in the tiebreaker, inching ahead 7-6(5) after 53 pulsating minutes.
Continuing to showcase great intensity into the second set, Rublev found his way to survive a dramatic second game, fending off three break points to hold his ground 1-1.
From there, they went on serve, but the former Miami Open winner kept adding pressure, asking all the right questions while his adversary began to let his frustration show.
In the eighth game, Hurkacz did not hesitate to generate a pivotal break, moving on to serve out for the set 6-3 in 44 minutes, forcing a decider.
At a crucial stage of the final set, the 8-time ATP titlist converted a break to come out on top 4-3, an inflection point to the match outcome.
However, Fernando Vicente’s pupil quickly regrouped, earning three break points opportunities he ultimately missed as the eighth seed shut the door, extending his lead to 5-3.
Being the fighter he is, Rublev held an aggressive position on the baseline, delivering his trademark ferocious ball-striking to survive a grueling ninth game, narrowing the gap to 4-5.
Serving for the match, the ruthless Pole halted the Moscow-born late challenge, wrapping up proceedings 6-4 to secure his spot in the last four.
The 27-year-old won 80 percent of the points on his first serve, firing 17 aces while converting 3 of 10 break-point opportunities.
Moreover, the Wroclaw native hit 40 winners against 35 unforced errors compared to his opponent’s 30 to 40, respectively.
The other semifinal will feature 2024 runner-up Alex de Minaur against Italian qualifier Mattia Belluci, who shocked Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, progressing into his first semifinal on tour.