GENEVA, May 21, 2015

The top three seeds headlined quarterfinals action on Day 5 at the Geneva Open, but all of them were knocked out by the underdogs.

In pretty chilly conditions, the atmosphere heated up when top-seed and only local player in the draw Stan Wawrinka rallied back from a break down two times in the third set, but eventually fell to Federico Delbonis, losing 7-6, 4-6, 4-6. The match ended at 9 pm local time under floodlights after two hours and five minutes. The 30-year-old Swiss still has to wait to claim his first title on home soil and was understandably disappointed afterwards.

“It was a tough match, tough loss. I think the conditions made it really really hard to play. It was cold, not easy to move but he played well and I think he deserved to win. He had a good spirit, fought for every point. I tried to fight, I tried to stay in the match being aggressive but I did not find completely my game. It wasn’t my best match when I see my level,” Wawrinka was a fair loser and also could take some positives from this week.

“For sure I am disappointed and sad but in generally I play well and had some great practice here. Today wasn’t a good match but I am feeling good on the tennis court and that’s the most important thing,” the Swiss told and added that he will heading for Paris tomorrow afternoon to start his preparation for Roland Garros.

Stan Wawrinka still has to wait for claiming his first title in Switzerland

Federico Delbonis has reached his first semi-final of the season on ATP World Tour level

Delbonis, who missed to qualify at the ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid in Rome, is playing his first main draw in Europe this season and reached his first semi-final in 2015.

Tennis TourTalk spoke to the Argentine after the match:

Delbonis is facing Joao Sousa in the semi-finals. Earlier the day, the sixth-seeded Portuguese saved four match points against the tournament’s number three Pablo Andújar in the tie-break of the final set, winning the closest match of the day 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 in two hours and 28 minutes.

Pablo Andujar lost his first meeting with Sousa

Joao Sousa after he capitalized on his match point

Santiago Giraldo achieved his first career win over the tournament’s second favourite Marin Cilic in their fifth meeting. The 27-year-old Colombian withstood nine aces and didn’t have to save a break point winning 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 27 minutes. Giraldo has reached his second semi-final of the year, after getting into the round of the final four in Sao Paulo in February.

“Of course I am disappointed with the loss. I came to Geneva in order to win as many matches as I can. Today I was feeling that I needed to get the momentum going to my side and then things would go much better for me,” Cilic told afterwards. “Unfortunately, I didn’t return well and when conditions are cold like today, you cannot finish a lot of points with your own serve. It was difficult for me to find the right game and the right way to play. From the beginning, things were not going the way I wanted,” the world number ten added.

“Nonetheless, on the court I am feeling well, training is also good. I am feeling the balls good, just need to put them in the right place during the matches. This is complicated sometimes. You can play well but the result doesn’t come off, but I am staying confident for the French Open. In Paris we will have best of five matches and there will be more tennis. I am looking forward to get a couple of more matches and then it is probably getting better,” Cilic said and also spoke about the time when he was injured and sidelined from the courts with a shoulder injury for the first two months in 2015.

“Mentally I was fine, although it was not easy to wait and being out of the tennis, especially at the beginning of the season when most of the players are still a bit rusty. I returned at a time when everyone is focused and I am still adjusting to that a bit. I also haven’t had the best results on clay courts compared to other surfaces but no need to panic.”

Giraldo will take on Thomaz Bellucci on Saturday, who also reached his second semi-final of the season. The 27-year-old Brazilian capitalized on five of his 13 break points, winning the all-leftie-affair against Albert Ramos 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 in one hour and 47 minutes. Bellucci and Giraldo will face for the ninth time (4-4 in head to head records).

Albert Ramos lost in the quarterfinals

Thomaz Bellucci has reached his second semi-final of the season after Quito in February