The fifth day in Sofia promises much, but slightly failed to deliver as none of the four quarter-final matches went to a deciding third set.
Bautista Agut cruises past Adrian Mannarino
Roberta Bautista Agut continued his strong start to 2016 by cruising past Adrian Mannarino in straight sets. The recent Auckland champion only need a single break of serve in each set to secure victory in a little over an hour.
The first set was littered with point returning, with both players holding at ease for the first nine games. Bautista Agut won 20 of the 23 points he served in the opener, and this pressure eventually told as he got the vital break at the end of the set. The Spaniard forced Mannarino to save three break points in the early stages of the second, with the Frenchman somehow holding to try and force a momentum swing. The hold had little effect on the match, with Bautista Agut securing the break two return games later before progressing to the semifinals on his second match-point.
Muller edges out Garcia-Lopez
Bautista Agut’s semifinal opponent will be the sixth seed Gilles Muller whom defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. The man from Luxembourg had been in terrific serving form throughout the week and delivered yet strong aces performance, serving another 14.
The match could have had a completely different complexion to it due to Garcia-Lopez storming to a 5-2 lead, ironically breaking serve twice, and even wasting another chance to break for a third time. Seemingly out of the first set, Muller broke-back in consecutive games and had another opportunity to avoid a tie-break and win five games in a row. Garcia-Lopez fought back to hold, but there was no reward in the tie-breaker, wasting two set-points to lose the set 6-8.
The second set was a tighter affair with only one break of serve enough for Muller to progress through, winning the second 6-4. The sixth-seed won 20 of 25 points on his serve in the second set, not allowing Garcia-Lopez any glimmer of hope after breaking mid-way through the set.
Troicki Defeats Kohlschreiber In Straight Sets
Sydney champion Viktor Troicki put in an impressive performance to reach the last-four in Sofia, after seeing off Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets. Immediately from the word go, Troicki was causing Kohlschreiber trouble on his serve, wasting five break points in a one-way first few games. Eventually the second-seed got the important breakthrough, and put himself one set away from the semis after having to save a first break point when serving for the set.
Once again, the Serb was relatively comfortable in the second set, and broke in the fifth game to seemingly complete the job in straight sets. Kohlschreiber had rarely threatened to break back, but suddenly had three chances when Troicki was serving for the match. Unfortunately for the German he could not win any of the three decisive points, leading to Troicki winning the match 6-3, 6-4.
Klizan defeats Seppi for the first time
Martin Klizan won the final match of the day in Sofia, by beating Andreas Seppi in straight sets to overcome the Italian for the first time in three meetings.
Seppi was the player threatening to break early, forcing Klizan to save four break points in a tight opening 7 games. The Italian wasted all four, but Klizan took his first chance in the last game of the set, to take it 6-4.Seppi did finally break in the opening game of the next set, but was broken in his next two consecutive service games to go on and lose the match 4-6 3-6.
Both players had high serving percentages but it was Klizan's ability to break at the first time of asking which was the difference in the match.
Elsewhere…
The doubles tournament has its first finalist, as Philipp Oswald and Adil Shamasdin surprinsingly defeated Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Lukas Rosol in a match decided in a champions tie-break. The pair had to recover from a set down, to the more well-known players, but won a topsy-turvy second set to level the match. The un-heralded pairing raced to an astonishing 8-0 lead, and did not look back, clinching the win 10-2.
Adil Shamasdin moves into his fourth ATP Doubles final, and the sixth of Philipp Oswald’s career. It will be the first final the pair have reached together.
Day Six Preview
The final four semifinalists are in Day Six action tomorrow, joined by the final last-four meeting in the doubles. First-up it’s Bautista Agut taking on Muller in a highly-anticipated clash, followed up by the second semifinal in the doubles. The final match of the day is the other singles semifinal, between second-seed Troicki and Klizan.
Day Six Order Of Play
Centre Court – 2:00pm
(1)Roberta Bautista Agut – Gilles Muller (6)
NOT BEFORE - 3:30pm
(3) Wesley Koolhof / Matwe Middelkoop – Thiemo de Bakker / Robin Haase
NOT BEFORE - 6:00pm
(7) Martin Klizan – Viktor Troicki (2)