BARCELONA/STARNBERG, April 5, 2024

Italian veteran Lorenzo Giustino continued his good run of form this week by reaching the semi-finals of the Emilio Sanchez Challenger by Waterdrop. The 32-year-old Naples native, who came from the qualifying of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 clay-court event in Barcelona, knocked off No. 3 seed Jesper de Jong from the Netherlands 7-5, 6-4 on Friday.

Giustino capitalized on seven of his 16 break-point chances and won 54 per cent of the total points played to secure victory in two hours and 16 minutes.

Interview. Lorenzo Giustino into semifinals. Will play against Bernabe Zapata.
Challenger Emilio Sánchez Academy by Waterdrop. pic.twitter.com/lNIuPLJi2h

— Emilio Sánchez Academy Bcn (@EmilioSanchezBn) April 5, 2024

“I am winning a lot of matches over the past three weeks. I come from an ITF 25 event (in Badalona) that I won. I am very tired, as I played nine matches in a row. But I am also very happy with my performance, also being able to come back a bit, as I was struggling finding my tennis over the last two or three years. However, this week in Barcelona I seem to do a good job. This is good,” said Giustino, a winner of 10 titles on the ITF Pro Circuit. His only Challenger triumph took place in 2019 when he lifted the trophy in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Giustino will next play No. 2 seed Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain, who fought past eighth-seeded Briton Billy Harris 7-5, 7-6(2) in two hours and three minutes.

In the top half of the draw, Nick Hardt defeated Nicholas David Ionel of Romania 6-3, 6-3. The 23-year-old from the Dominican Republic broke his rival’s serve eight times to advance in one hour and 37 minutes.

Up next for Hardt will be Javier Barranco Cosano, who emerged victorious from the all-Spanish encounter with qualifier Carlos Taberner, 7-5, 6-0. The match lasted one hour and 51 minutes.