PRAGUE, August 20, 2020
Stan Wawrinka will lead Friday’s semi-finals line-up of the € 137,560 I.CLTK Prague Open 2020 by Moneta following a three-set victory against sixth seed Sumit Nagal of India. The World No. 17 from Switzerland overcame a slow start into Thursday’s encounter by sending down five aces and winning 78 per cent of his first-service points to prevail 2-6, 6-0, 6-1 after one hour and 19 minutes.
Into the Prague semis… @stanwawrinka!
The 🇨🇭 fights past Sumit Nagal 26 60 61. pic.twitter.com/MsKVDpc2rl
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) August 20, 2020
It marked the third straight deciding-set win for Wawrinka, who outlasted Russia’s Roman Safiullin and Oscar Otte from Germany in his opening two matches in Prague. The tournament’s top seed, who entered his first ATP Challenger Tour event since lifting the trophy on home soil in Lugano 10 years ago with a wild card, will next take on Michael Vrbensky.
The 20-year-old Czech and youngest player remaining in the draw continued his fine form at the ATP Challenger 125 clay-court event with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Elias Ymer from Sweden. Vrbensky has advanced to the stage of the final four at Challenger level for the first time.
In other action, No. 3 seeded Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert came back from a set down to battle past Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands. The World No. 71 converted seven of his 15 break point opportunities to finish the encounter after two hours and 21 minutes. Up next for Herbert will be in-form Russian Aslan Karatsev, who knocked off No. 7 seed Henri Laaksonen from Switzerland 7-6(3), 6-4 in just under two hours of play.
