ANTWERP/WASHINGTON, October 20, 2023 (by Michael Dickens)
Throughout his dream-week run to the European Open semifinals this week in Antwerp, Belgium, every match win for Germany’s Maximilian Marterer has been a special one.
After qualifying for the main draw with his second win in two days on Monday, the 28-year-old left-handed native of Nuremberg, ranked 127th, eliminated No. 7 seed and 2016 champion Richard Gasquet of France on Tuesday. Then, he stopped Portugal’s 74th-ranked Nuno Borges on Thursday. Both wins were in straight sets.
On Friday afternoon inside Lotto Arena, Marterer reached his first ATP Tour semifinal in five years by downing No. 96 Hugo Gaston of France, 6-3, 6-2, in 61 minutes. Through his five matches in Antwerp (two qualifying and three main draw), Marterer has not dropped a set.
MAXimum power 🔌
Lighting ⚡️shots from Marterer in his win against Hugo Gaston 😳
He def. the Frenchman 6-3 6-2 💪#EuropeanOpen | #ATPTour | #Tennis | #Antwerp | #Marterer pic.twitter.com/csmyKP2eoR
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2023
Marterer put up impressive numbers against Gaston: Nine aces, zero double faults, a 91-percent success rate on first-serve points won, and he saved all three break points he faced from the mercurial Frenchman. Additionally, Marterer struck 23 winners, made only eight unforced errors, broke Gaston’s serve three times and outpointed him 57-35.
“This is my second [tour-level] semifinal in all. It’s not like it’s happening a lot,” Marterer said in his on-court interview, allowing himself a brief chuckle as he spoke. “I’m really happy with the way I played today, really strong serving. I achieved everything I wanted today in this match. I’m really happy to get through.
“Everything worked out really well today. I’m happy I got through that one service game where he had break chances and could have been a turning point.”
Five years in the making! 🙌
Qualifier Maximilian Marterer reaches a first semi-final since 2018@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/eev0F0ZYLZ
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2023
Marterer saved three break points in a 12-point sixth game tussle with Gaston in the second set to maintain a break lead at 4-2 and coasted to the finish line by winning the last 10 points of the match.
A former World No. 12 in juniors, Marterer achieved a career-high ATP ranking of No. 45 in August 2018 before suffering a left knee injury and falling as low as No. 379 by February 2020. The last time Marterer advanced to the last four of a tour-level event was in 2018 at Munich, where he lost to fellow German Philip Kohlschreiber.
Now, following his quarterfinal triumph over Gaston, his ninth main-draw victory in 13 matches it his season, Marterer has become just the third qualifier in tournament history to reach the semifinals following Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2017 and Jenson Brooksby in 2021.
Asked if he still has any energy left for the semifinals, Marterer smiled and without hesitation said, “Yes, I definitely have. A lot.”
Bublik wins the service battle ⚡️
He def. French serve cannon Mpetshi Perricard 6-4 4-6 6-2 to book a spot in the semifinals 📖#EuropeanOpen | #ATPTour | #Tennis | #Antwerp | #Bublik pic.twitter.com/750LYRKZ6n
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2023
On Saturday, Marterer will face No. 3 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, who ended the remarkable run of 226th-ranked qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, in the first quarterfinal match. Mpetschi Perricard, 20, from Lyon, began as an alternate in the qualifying draw, won both of his matches, and was impressive in his first two main-draw matches. He upset No. 6 seed Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain and Belgian favorite David Goffin, both impressively.
The 36th-ranked Bublik reached reach his 13th ATP Tour semifinal (8-4) and third of the season, (after reaching the Marseille semifinal and winning the title at Halle), by hitting 14 winners, garnering 91 percent of his first-serve points and breaking Mpetshi Perricard’s serve four times. He outpointed his opponent 76-67 during the 87-minute match.
Semi-final ticket booked 🎟
[3] Alexander Bublik finds the answers 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to halt Mpetshi Perricard@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/on57U7mSJV
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2023
Tsitsipas, Fils set for semifinal showdown
On Friday evening, World No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece advanced to his first tour-level semifinal since winning the Los Cabos title in August after defeating No. 5 seed Yannick Hanfmann of Germany, 6-3, 6-3. The 25-year-old Greek star converted his fourth match point to win in one hour and 10 minutes. It was the first time since Los Cabos that Tsitsipas has won consecutive singles matches.
Put a little bit of spice 🌶️
Outstanding performance by Tsitsipas in his win over Hanfmann 🤩
6️⃣-3️⃣ 6️⃣-3️⃣#EuropeanOpen | #ATPTour | #Tennis | #Antwerp | #Tsitsipas pic.twitter.com/iBB6RuElUA
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2023
The victory lifted Tsitsipas through to his 47th tour-level semifinal of his career and the fifth one this season. He will face No. 4 seed Arthur Fils in the semifinal round. The 38th-ranked, 19-year-old French teenager was impressive in his 57-minute, 6-0, 6-3 rout of 69th-ranked No. 8 seed Juan Pablo Varillas of Peru, hitting nine aces and striking 21 winners to just five unforced errors. He broke the serve of Varillas four times.
Tsitsipas is still alive in the European Open doubles draw with his younger brother, Petros, and will see double duty in both singles and doubles on Saturday. Meanwhile, Fils has only his semifinal with Tsitsipas to focus on. He hope to build upon his outstanding performance against Varillas.
“Everything I tried today worked. I am very satisfied with my [match],” Fils said afterward. “Tomorrow, against Stefanos Tsitsipas, it will be a blockbuster. I felt much better than during my first match. The support of the crowd gave me a lot of pleasure. I don’t know if they were Belgians or French, but I hope they will also behind me tomorrow.”
57 minutes of pure madness 🤯
POV: You have a match at 20h but the foodtruck leaves at 21h 🌭
🇫🇷Fils beats 🇵🇪Varillas 6-0 6-3 and sets up a blockbuster meeting with Tsitsipas ⚡️🤩#EuropeanOpen | #ATPTour | #Tennis | #Antwerp | #Fils pic.twitter.com/VUzR9dQDin
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2023
Around the European Open
Unseeded Ariel Behar of Uruguay and Adam Pavlasek of the Czech Republic pulled off their second upset of a seeded team to reach the doubles final. After upsetting No. 1 seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico in the first round, the Uruguayan-Czech duo beat No. 3 seeds Hugo Nys of Monaco and Lloyd Glasspool of Great Britain, 6-4, 3-6, 10-5, to advance to Sunday’s title match.
Behar and Pavlasek will face either Stefanos and Petros Tsitsipas of Greece or Romain Arneodo of Monaco and Tristan-Samuel Weissborn of Austria, who play Saturday evening after the completion of the single semifinals.
The style icons are through to the final 👑👘
🇺🇾Behar/🇨🇿Pavlasek def. 🇬🇧Glasspool/🇲🇨Nys 6-4 3-6 10-5 💪#EuropeanOpen | #ATPTour | #Tennis | #Antwerp | #Behar | #Pavlasek pic.twitter.com/zxZDvwdKfH
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2023
Friday’s European Open results
Saturday’s European Open order of play
By the numbers
Qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France is set to make his Top 200 debut on Monday, advancing 32 spots to No. 194 on Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, following his quarterfinal run in Antwerp.
“Quotable …”
“When you play on the Tour, you don’t get to do this very often. It has its own satisfaction, getting to do both. It’s good that I can play so good in both draws. I’m happy I’m doing it with Petros. I think we can really enjoy out there and take this opportunity to play good tennis.”
— Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, top-seeded in singles, who on Saturday will play semifinal matches in both singles and in doubles with his brother Petros.
