Fast-rising Italian teen Jannik Sinner and Russian second seed Karen Khachanov booked a Great Ocean Road Open semifinal clash, while Murray River Open top two seeds Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov were knocked out.
Back-to-back wins on a rain-interrupted Friday were required to book one of eight singles semifinal berths up for grabs.
Match of the day
(2) Grigor Dimitrov v Corentin Moutet – Murray River Open
Bulgarian second seed Dimitrov put himself through the wringer on a tough day at the Murray River Open – first scorching, stumbling and ultimately steadying to reach the quarterfinals, before surging and fading against a runaway Corentin Moutet.
After failing to serve out his early match against Australian Alexei Popyrin, Dimitrov saw a 5-0 third-set lead whittled away to 5-3. On his sixth match point spread across the final four games, the No.2 seed shook the nerves to prevail 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3.
His wobbles weren’t about to end there. In his second match of the day, the Bulgarian let slip a 5-2 first-set lead as he lost 11 of the last 12 games against the left-handed Moutet, 7-5 6-2.
(2) Karen Khachanov v Botic Van de Zandschulp - Great Ocean Road Open
Not content with notching a first-time win over a former top-five opponent, second seed Karen Khachanov rounded out a busy day with a match-point saving feat under lights.
The Russian took down two-time major runner-up Kevin Anderson 6-4 7-6(5) to level the ledger with the big-serving South African at 1-1.
He later progressed to the Great Ocean Road Open semifinals with a 6-7(6) 7-5 6-3 triumph over unheralded world No.159, Botic Van de Zandschulp.
The Dutchman had beaten sixth seed Reilly Opelka 7-6(6) 7-6(4) and very nearly pulled off the two biggest wins of his career on the same day before Khachanov fended off two match points in the second set and closed out the match after two hours and 32 minutes.
It sets a semifinal clash with fourth seed Jannik Sinner, a player he beat in five sets at last year’s US Open.
Seeds watch
Murray River Open
Top seed Stan Wawrinka’s experience showed as the triple major winner held off Murray Bridge’s own Alex Bolt 6-4 4-6 7-6(5) in his first match of the day.
Still regaining full fitness after recovering from a bout of coronavirus late last year, Wawrinka withdrew from his subsequent match to hand Jeremy Chardy a passage into the semifinals. Chardy earlier defeated US sixth seed Taylor Fritz 6-2 6-4.
Fourth seed Borna Coric started his day on a tear, clinching his third win from five clashes with Australia’s Nick Kyrgios 6-3 6-4. The Croat was unable to back it up, however, as British eighth seed Dan Evans ended his run 7-5 7-6(1) to book a semifinal showdown with Chardy.
The unseeded Frenchman will meet third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the final. The Canadian saved a match point against Belarusian Egor Gerasimov in his first match of the day before Czech lefty Jiri Vesely retired after conceding the opening set 7-6(3).
Great Ocean Road Open
After landing his first top-15 win over No.1 seed David Goffin, Spanish 17-year-old Carlos Alcaraz’s run came to an end at the hands of Thiago Monteiro on Friday. It left fourth seed Sinner as the last teenager standing at day’s end.
The Italian saw off two seeds – No.13 Aljaz Bedene and No.7 Miomir Kecmanov – in succession to book a place in the semifinals where he will meet No.2 Khachanov.
Sinner was one of two Italians to advance after 29-year-old Stefano Travaglia bounced back from 1-3 in the deciding set to upset No.3 seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6 6-3 7-5.
Travaglia had already accounted for No.8 seed Alexander Bublik to start the day. He will meet the unseeded Monteiro for a spot in the final.
Quotes of the day
“I think a big group - Thiem, Medvedev, Rublev - now are coming, as well. I think for the younger generation it still takes a little bit of time, but I think Thiem is there, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, many players.”
- Great Ocean Road Open fourth seed Jannik Sinner on the players most likely to take the reins from Djokovic, Nadal and Federer.
“If I get the opportunity again, obviously I want to win that match. But I have put myself in good positions. It's been tough finals – the two I played were difficult. If I'm in the final, I'll be out there trying as hard as I can to win.”
- Murray River Open eighth seed Dan Evans on the prospect of winning his first tour title in Melbourne.
“I played him many times. I never won in the past … He's a strong player, really strong guy. He can play really fast, as well. It will be tough, I will have to be really focused. Last time, last year in the US Open wasn't a good match from me.”
- Corentin Moutet weighs up what it takes to beat No.3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for the first time in three meetings.