Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich, 46th in the world, qualified on Friday in Monte-Carlo for his first Masters 1000 semi-final by dismissing American Taylor Fritz (13th) after a close match won 2-6, 6 -4, 6-3 in 2h25.
The score of the first set does not reflect the intensity of the set and how much pressure Fritz was put on each of his face-offs. The American complained of stomach pains, to the point of bringing in the doctor twice, but he managed to complete the first set by scoring a second break.
But Davidovich had already demonstrated against Djokovich on Tuesday his ability to hang on to every ball, every point, every game, without hesitating to dive until he was bleeding. And Fritz, winner in March in Indian Wells, paid the price in turn on Friday.
In particular, he missed two points in the second set, at 3-2 to give himself a break point then at 4-5 to give his opponent a set point (the American was surprised to see a spike come back on it and committed a foul) and saw Davidovich equalize at one innings everywhere.
In the decisive set, a smash into the net from Fritz gave Davidovich two match points: the first was saved, but on the second the Spaniard unleashed a huge forehand winner along the line synonymous with a ticket for the last square.
A Dimitrov-Davidovich semi-final
Grigor Dimitrov, 29th in the world, beat the Pole Hubert Hurkacz (14th) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2) on Friday and thus finds the semi-finals in Monte-Carlo where he will face the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich (46th).
At 30, the Bulgarian finds the last square Monegasque he had already reached in 2018, his best result to date in this tournament which traditionally opens the European season on clay.
Dimitrov took his opponent’s face-off once in the first set and kept the lead, Hurkacz did the same in the second.
The game was more spectacular in the decisive set where, twice, the Pole managed the break: at the very start of the set and to serve for the match (5-4), but each time the Bulgarian immediately picked up.
So that the qualification was played in the tie-break that the ex-N.3 world dominated.