MONS, October 9, 2015

Third seed Benjamin Becker advanced to the semi-finals at the € 106,500 ATP Challenger Ethias Trophy in Mons. The world number 90 and only remaining top-100-player left in the draw, defeated Andrea Arnaoldi 6-2, 6-4. Becker hit six aces and won 76% of his first service points to seal victory in one hour and 12 minutes.

The German will take on Kenny De Schepper next. The 28-year-old Frenchman ended the winning streak of Russian teenager Karen Khachanov. In three pretty quick sets, de Schepper capitalized on all of his four break points and won 79% of his first service points to prevail in one hour and 20 minutes, winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Becker takes a 1-0 head to head advantage over de Schepper into their semi-final clash, having won the only previous encounter between the two in Nottingham in 2013.

Ilya Marchenko dismissed Kontantin Kravchuk 7-5, 6-3. The world number 111 emerged victorious from the Ukrainian-Russian-affair in one hour and 35 minutes, winning 71% of his first service points.

Marchenko goes on to face Jan-Lennard Struff , who beat Dennis Novak 7-5, 6-1 in 65 minutes. The 25-year-old German saved the two break points he faced and fired seven aces to reach his third consecutive semi-final on the ATP Challenger Tour, following his triumphs in Szczecin and Orleans.