A day of surprises marked the quarterfinals of the European Open in Antwerp, with all top three seeds bowing out, while veteran Stan Wawrinka stunned Andrey Rublev at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open. Here’s a roundup of Friday’s tennis action across multiple tournaments:
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European Open (Antwerp, Belgium)
Top Seeds Crash Out
The quarterfinals in Antwerp saw the top three seeds all eliminated:
- Hugo Gaston of France delivered the biggest upset by ousting top seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Gaston came through in the deciding set with a strong 20-8 advantage in winners, converting 3 of 4 break points to secure the win.
- Jiri Lehecka, the fifth seed from the Czech Republic, swept past second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-4, 6-4. Lehecka’s consistent play saw him break Tsitsipas twice while not facing a single break point himself.
- Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain rallied from a set down to defeat third-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6). Despite the Canadian hitting 19 aces and saving three match points, Bautista Agut clinched victory in a nail-biting tiebreaker.
Semifinal Matchups
- Hugo Gaston will face Roberto Bautista Agut.
- Jiri Lehecka will take on eighth seed Marcos Giron of the United States, who defeated Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-2, 6-2.
BNP Paribas Nordic Open (Stockholm, Sweden)
Wawrinka’s Remarkable Run Continues
Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka upset No. 1 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) to advance to the semifinals. Wawrinka, 39, fired 14 aces and saved three of four break points to edge Rublev in two tight sets. This victory brings Wawrinka closer to his first ATP title since 2017.
- Wawrinka is now the third-oldest semifinalist in an ATP event since 1990.
Other Results
- Tommy Paul of the United States, the fourth seed, advanced by defeating Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (9), 6-2.
- Tallon Griekspoor, the seventh seed from the Netherlands, upset second-seeded Casper Ruud 7-5, 7-6 (5).
- Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 3 seed from Bulgaria, cruised past Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker 6-3, 6-2.
Semifinal Matchups
- Stan Wawrinka will meet Tommy Paul.
- Tallon Griekspoor will face Grigor Dimitrov.
Almaty Open (Kazakhstan)
Vukic Upsets Top Seed Tiafoe
Australian Aleksandar Vukic shocked top-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 7-6 (11). Vukic tallied 13 aces and 35 winners, coming from 4-1 down in the second-set tiebreaker to win. Tiafoe saved four match points but ultimately fell short.
Other Results
- Karen Khachanov of Russia, the No. 3 seed, eased past Kazakh wild card Beibit Zhukayev 6-2, 6-4.
- No. 4 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina dispatched Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 6-2, 6-3.
- Canada’s Gabriel Diallo upset No. 2 seed Alejandro Tabilo of Chile 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Semifinal Matchups
- Aleksandar Vukic vs. Karen Khachanov
- Francisco Cerundolo vs. Gabriel Diallo
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Post-Match Reactions
Stan Wawrinka on His Victory Over Rublev:
“I’m playing with a lot of confidence right now. I know I can still compete at this level, and today was another step toward showing that.”
Hugo Gaston on His Upset Win:
“It was a tough match, but I stayed focused and aggressive in the third set. It’s always great to beat the top seed.”
Everything you need to know for the tournament is in our Betting on The Open Championship: Everything You Need to Know
Looking Ahead
Aleksandar Vukic continues his strong campaign with another opportunity to upset a higher seed in Karen Khachanov.
Stan Wawrinka will look to extend his incredible run and secure his first title in six years.
Hugo Gaston and Roberto Bautista Agut face off in a battle of resilience in Antwerp.
