PAU/STARNBERG, February 22, 2025

Arthur Bouquier produced a thrilling comeback to secure a spot in the semi-finals of the Terega Open Pau-Pyrenees, joining Raphael Collignon, Lukas Klein, and Patrick Zahraj in the final four.

The last remaining Frenchman in the draw of the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event delivered another electrifying performance for the Pau crowd. After being broken in the opening game, Bouquier struggled to recover and ultimately lost the first set to Murphy Cassone. The second set saw both players hold serve until a tense tie-break, where the US-American had three match points. However, visibly frustrated by Bouquier’s unpredictable mix of drop shots and sliced backhands, Cassone squandered all his opportunities. Bouquier remained resilient, claiming the tie-break 11-9 before dominating the final set to complete his comeback, winning 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 in two hours and one minute.

Bouquier the survivor

The Frenchman saves three match points and overcomes Cassone 4-6, 7-6(9), 6-2 in Pau to reach his second consecutive Challenger semifinal!#ATPChallenger | @TeregaOpen pic.twitter.com/Mu2pDUJxOO

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) February 21, 2025

Friday’s action began with Collignon showcasing his growing confidence. The second-seeded Belgian dominated Filip Misolic of Austria with an aggressive game, securing a 6-4, 6-3 victory by breaking early in both sets. He will now face Bouquier in the semi-finals.

The tournament’s top seed Jacob Fearnley was eliminated by Slovakian Lukas Klein. The Scot struggled with his serve and was outplayed in a straight-sets loss 6-3, 6-3. Klein will now take on German qualifier Patrick Zahraj, who overcame British wild card entry Arthur Fery 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to book his place in the semi-finals.