Qualifier Safiullin stuns Tsitsipas in Marseille to enter QFs; Rublev, Bonzi also advance
Feb 19, 2022
Marseille [France], February 19 : The World No. 163 Roman Safiullin claimed the best victory of his career on Friday as he upset two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.
The Russian had come through tough three-setters against Alexei Popyrin and Tomas Machac to reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final, but he showed no signs of fatigue or nerves as he outplayed the top seed from the start.
It was an uncharacteristically sloppy performance from Tsitsipas, but he was regularly forced into errors by the ball-striking and variety of Safiullin's game who is a qualifier in the ATP 250 tournament.
Elsewhere, Andrey Rublev pulled off another final-set recovery in Marseille to see off Lucas Pouille and reach the semi-finals.
Having recovered from a break down in the third set against Richard Gasquet in the second round on Wednesday, Rublev repeated the trick in the quarter-finals to break French hearts again as he withstood an inspired performance from wild card Pouille and come through 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in one hour and 41 minutes.
Rublev's next opponent will be ninth seed Benjamin Bonzi, after the Frenchman upset World No. 15 Aslan Karatsev 6-1, 6-3 to reach his first ATP Tour semi-final earlier on Friday.
