Semifinal lineups are complete. On day five at the Aircel Chennai Open, second seed Roberto Bautista Agut and fifth seed Benoit Paire all advanced while third seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas lost to Dudi Sela. Russian Daniil Medvedev also made it into his first semifinal on the ATP World Tour.
Medvedev eases past Kovalik
Medvedev started on the front foot, breaking Jozef Kovalik straight away in the very first game on his fourth attempt as the previous three was saved. Things got even better for the Russian as he broke once more and consolidated to take a 4-0 lead. In the very next game, the Slovakian had two chances to break back but Medvedev denied him on both occasions and held serve.
Serving to stay in the set, Kovalik was broken and lost the set 6-1. The second set was much even until the fifth game when the Slovakian got the first break of the set but the world number 99 then went on a run, winning two games late on to win the set 6-4 and seal his place in the semifinal for the first time.
Three seed Ramos-Vinolas sent packing by Sela
Sela came out with intent breaking the Spaniard right away in the first game of the match. Ramos-Vinolas earned a break point only for Sela to deny him and hold serve for a 2-0 lead. The Spaniard did break back in the 10th game after going on to save four set points. However, he gifted the Israeli as he broke immediately back and this time around close out the set, 7-5.
Sela continued to trouble the Spaniard and broke him in the third game after taking him to deuce. From that moment on, Sela held his nerve and found himself serving for the match. He raced away to a love-40 lead and despite having a match point saved, he advanced to the semifinals on the very next point.
Bautista Agut battles past a spirited Youzhny
Mikhail Youzhny came out causing all sorts of problems to Bautista Agut. In the second game, he got the break and took an early 3-0 lead. He had three chances to go further ahead in the very next game but Bautista Agut dug in and denied the Russian to get on the scoreboard. Both players held serve and with Youzhny ahead, he went a set up on the Spaniard, 2-6. The number two seed looked down and out as Youzhny broke in the fourth lead and consolidated to take a 1-4 lead.
However, Bautista Agut gritted his teeth, dug in and broke the number seven seed twice late on to draw level at one set all, 6-4. The 28-year-old nearly had the perfect start to the third set but the 34-year-old denied him twice early on. The Spaniard was broken in the fourth game only to regain the break back in the very next game. The world number 14 then had three break points saved in the seventh game only to break late on in the match in the ninth game. Youzhny had two break back saved before the match was put to bed a couple points later.
Paire crushes Bedene
Paire can be hot or cold but this week he started with intent and full concentration against Aljaz Bedene. In the second game, he had two break points saved by the Brit but just a few games later, he did the break after two were saved in the previous game. Paire consolidated the very next game and took a comfortable 4-1 lead.
Both players held serve from that moment on and Paire won the first set on his third set point, 6-3. Things did not get much better for the Brit Bedene. He went down 3-0 and needed a medical timeout. Paire only grew stronger, breaking the world number 101 for a third time in the set before going on to book a place in the semifinal and serve up a bagel.