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Tsitsipas beats Hurkacz to keep ATP 500 title hopes alive

22-year-old faces Khachanov in quarter-finals after Russian’s win against Norrie

Stefanos Tsitsipas in action against Hubert Hurkacz on the fourth day of the ABN AMRO ATP World Tennis Tournament match in Rotterdam. Photograph: Getty Images

Thu Mar 4 2021 - 20:43

Australian Open semi-finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas retained his hopes of a first ATP 500 title by beating Hubert Hurkacz at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Second seed Tsitsipas, whose bid to reach the final of last month’s grand slam in Melbourne ended with a straight-sets defeat to Daniil Medvedev, saw off Hurkacz 6-4 4-6 7-5 in Rotterdam.

Tsitsipas (22) faces Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals following the Russian’s 6-2 6-2 win against Britain’s Cameron Norrie on Wednesday.

French qualifier Jeremy Chardy secured his passage through to the last eight with a surprise victory over sixth seed David Goffin.

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Chardy won both tie-breaks to seal a 7-6 (3) 7-6 (5) victory in one hour and 44 minutes over Goffin, who headed into the Rotterdam tournament fresh from winning his fifth career singles title in Montpellier last weekend.

Chardy (34) takes on Andrey Rublev in the next stage after the Russian’s straight-sets win over Andy Murray.

Recovered

Elsewhere, Tommy Paul recovered from losing the opening set of his last-16 match to beat Alexander Bublik 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-1.

Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka is through to the semi-finals of the Qatar Total Open after beating top seed Elina Svitolina in straight sets.

Number eight seed Azarenka, a two-time champion in Doha, needed just 85 minutes to see off Svitolina 6-2 6-4 and reach her 60th WTA last-four match.

She will face Garbine Muguruza in the semi-final following the former world number one’s triumph against Maria Sakkari.

Muguruza, who is the highest-ranked unseeded player in the field, took five of her 12 break points and hit 14 winners en route to a comfortable 6-3 6-1 win.

In the other half of the draw, fourth seed Petra Kvitova secured a 6-3 3-6 6-2 victory over Anett Kontaveit to reach her third semi-final in Doha.

Kvitova will meet qualifier Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after the American needed less than an hour to defeat second seed Karolina Pliskova 6-3 6-1.

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