Top seed Alexander Zverev crashed out of Munich’s ATP clay courtroom event after a shock defeat to qualifier Ilya Ivashka in the quarter-finals on Friday. Despite successful the opening set on a tie-breaker, Zverev, the 2017 and 2018 Munich champion, bowed out 7-6 (5), 5-7, 3-6 after Ivashka of Belarus transformed his first match level. The 27-year-old is ranked 101 locations beneath world quantity six Zverev, 24, who made quite a few errors. “This is a match I ought to by no means have misplaced – I’m unhappy and disenchanted”, admitted Germany’s Zverev.
Half of his 14 double faults came in the deciding set as Zverev lost after two hours, 33 minutes while Ivashka reached a semi-final on tour for the first time in his career.
In Saturday’s semis, Ivashka faces Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff who needed exactly three hours to seal a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) win over fourth-seed Filip Krajinovic.
“Ivashka is playing quite good tennis here,” mentioned Struff after the 27-year-old Belarusian “blew away” Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.
This is the first time the 31-year-old Struff has reached the semis in Munich since 2014 and this will be his eighth attempt to reach the final of an ATP tournament for the first time.
“I haven’t yet taken that final step to play for a title and, of course, I would like to do that,” Struff added.
The remaining quarter-finals between Australia’s John Millman and Norway’s Casper Ruud, plus Nikoloz Basilashvili’s match with fortunate loser Norbert Gombos, shall be completed Saturday after rain interupted each ties.
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