Aug 31, 2021; Flushing, NY, USA; Hubert Hurkacz of Poland returns a shot against Egor Gerasimov of Belarus in a first round match on day two of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Top-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland delivered 13 aces and ousted Great Britain’s Andy Murray 7-6 (4), 6-3, to advance to the semifinals of the Moselle Open in Metz, France, on Friday.
Hurkacz also won 45 of 54 first-service points (83.3 percent) and saved all four break points he faced against the three-time Grand Slam winner. He will face Peter Gojowczyk in the semifinals after the German rallied to beat American Marcos Giron 3-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Nos. 2 and 3 seeds Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain and Gael Monfils of France also reached the semis Friday. Carreno Busta knocked out Denmark’s Holger Rune 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, and Monfils topped No. 8 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-3, 6-3.
Astana Open
No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan and No. 8 seed Ilya Ivashka of Belarus reached the semifinals with wins Friday at Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Bublik defeated Spain’s Carlos Taberner 6-3, 6-4, while Ivashka bounced back after dropping an early set to beat Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Ruusuvuori was a day removed from upsetting No. 1 seed Aslan Karatsev of Russia.
Friday also included two upsets: Australian James Duckworth toppled countryman and No. 5 seed John Millman 6-4, 6-4, and South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon outlasted Serbian seventh seed Laslo Djere 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-0. In the semis, Bublik will battle Kwon and Ivashka will draw Duckworth.
–Field Level Media