SEGOVIA/STARNBERG, July 26, 2026

The semi-final line-up at the 40th edition of the Open Castilla y Leon Villa de El Espinar has been finalized, with top seed Keegan Smith keeping his title hopes alive after a dramatic three-set victory on Friday.

The US-American was pushed to the limit by France’s Paul Inchauspe in the quarterfinals, eventually prevailing 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 7-6(4) in a gripping contest that lasted the maximum three sets. Smith saved match points before the decisive tie-break and continued to justify his status as the tournament favorite.

Clutch when it mattered 💪

Keegan Smith battles past Inchauspe 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 7-6(4) to secure a spot in the semifinals in Segovia#ATPChallenger | @Tenis_Espinar pic.twitter.com/DzE3eafuvZ

— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) July 24, 2026

Awaiting him in the semi-finals is another Frenchman, Luka Pavlovic, who produced the most dominant performance of the day. Pavlovic needed just 49 minutes to dispatch Turkey’s Mert Alkaya 6-1, 6-2 and book his place in the last four.

The bottom half of the draw delivered a Franco-British semi-final after Matteo Martineau and Oliver Crawford secured convincing victories.

Martineau defeated Turkey’s Yanki Erel 6-4, 6-4 in 77 minutes to reach the semi-finals, while fifth seed Crawford ended Spanish hopes with an impressive performance against fourth seed Alejandro Moro Canas. After a closely contested opening set, the Briton broke serve late before racing through the second set to complete a 6-4, 6-0 victory in just 72 minutes.

Legends tournament

Away from the competitive action, the tournament celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special “Legends Tournament”, featuring former Roland Garros champion Sergi Bruguera alongside Jose Manuel “Pepo” Clavet, Francisco “Pato” Clavet and Quino Muñoz.

Bruguera, who won the El Espinar title in 2000 after finishing runner-up in 1999, returned to the center court where he once starred, delighting spectators with an exhibition that paid tribute to the tournament’s rich history. The celebration concluded with a ceremony honoring the Muñoz family, founders of the event, marking four decades of one of Spain’s most prestigious ATP Challenger tournaments.

Finalizada la jornada de hoy y el torneo de leyendas en el Open Castilla y León Villa de El Espinar 🏆 pic.twitter.com/P991Z1Ul1c

— Tenis El Espinar (@Tenis_Espinar) July 24, 2026