Tsitsipas beats Jarry, set to meet Coric in the semis

Persistence paid off for Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo.
The top seed yesterday held his nerve to down Nicolas Jarry 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-2 in Los Cabos and reach the semi-finals on his debut at the hard-court ATP 250 event.
Tsitsipas had to hang tough as Jarry held the upper hand in the first half of the two-hour, 58-minute encounter, but a strong second-set tie-break display proved pivotal before the Greek dominated the decider.
“Sometimes you feel like those kinds of matches are very important for your continuation in a tournament,” said Tsitsipas.
“You get to play at a high intensity and a very high level, and it kind of brings the best out of you. I hope to move forwards stronger from this point onwards, to learn from this match, and take away as much as I can.”
Jarry’s big serving had helped him defeat Tsitsipas in the pair’s previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting in June on the grass of Halle.
The Chilean found good rhythm behind his delivery again on the Mexican Pacific coast, but he began to struggle physically in a deciding set in which Tsitsipas converted both break points he earned.
“He was serving big, and in important moments where I had the chance to break, he was always coming up with a big serve,” said Tsitsipas of the need to stay patient on return.
“It was something that made it a bit difficult. Those moments that I had to convert, I was trying to get behind the ball and the ball was constantly on the line. There isn’t much you can do.”
Now 37-13 for the season, Tsitsipas rose above Andrey Rublev to fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his triumph over Jarry.
The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion, chasing his first crown on outdoor hard courts this week in Mexico, will take on Borna Coric in the semi-finals as he seeks a third tour-level final of the season. The fourth-seeded Coric defeated Ilya Ivashka 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals on his Los Cabos debut.
The clash with Tsitsipas will be Coric’s second tour-level semi-final of the season, after he reached the last four on the clay at the Mutua Madrid Open in May.
Pegula rallies past Svitolina to reach Washington semis
Top-seeded Jessica Pegula outlasted Wimbledon semi-finalist Elina Svitolina 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday, holding off a late fightback to reach the Washington Open semi-finals.
The 29-year-old American booked a last-four berth in the WTA and ATP hardcourt event against the winner of a later match between US seventh seed Madison Keys and Greek fourth seed Maria Sakkari, who beat Canadian Leylah Fernandez 7-5, 6-2 in a rain-postponed match.
“I knew it was going to be a really tough match and that’s what it was,” Pegula said.
Pegula broke to open the final set and denied Svitolina on five break points in the sixth game before holding for a 4-2 lead.
Svitolina saved two match points before holding in the ninth game but Pegula saved a break point in the 10th game and advanced with a service winner on her third match point, improving to 3-1 overall against Svitolina after two hours and eight minutes.
“I was like, ‘If I don’t serve this out, it might have been a quick 5-7.’ I probably would have lost,” Pegula said. “I was so tired. I know that sounds terrible to say. That’s not what you’re supposed to be thinking but... I sweated through the entire thing.”
World number three Pegula, the 2019 Washington champion, reached her fifth WTA semi-final of the year and first since April on Charleston clay. Past success in the US capital helped her pull through, she said.
“It helps me feel more comfortable,” Pegula said. “I’ve played a lot of matches on this court. I always love coming back.
“That definitely helps me dig my heels in a little bit.”
The rain-hit men’s side was hoping to play five round-of-16 matches and all four quarter-finals on Friday.
US top seed Taylor Fritz and Britain’s Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, were set for a last-16 meeting, as were hometown hero and second seed Frances Tiafoe and Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng.
American JJ Wolf awaits in the quarter-finals for either Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or France’s Gael Monfils, the 2016 Washington champion. They were stopped by rain in the third set.