Opelka upsets Medvedev to reach semis in Den Bosch

'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands, June 13 (Reuters) - American lucky loser Reilly Opelka put up an intense battle to stun top seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5) 7-6(5) and reach the Libema Open semi-finals in Den Bosch on Friday.
Medvedev, who on Thursday edged a first set tiebreak against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, hit three double faults in the second set tiebreak and five overall, compared to no such error by Opelka, who also hit 24 aces.
The 2021 U.S. Open champion, currently ranked 11th in the world, needed to match or better Ben Shelton's result in Stuttgart this week to return to Top 10 on Monday.
The American, ranked 12th, will beat him to it after he overcame Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-4 to advance to the Stuttgart semi-finals.
Former Wimbledon junior champion Opelka will contest a an ATP grasscourt semi-final for the second time in his career having reached the same stage at Newport last year.
He will face Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal or Belgium's Zizou Bergs on Saturday for a spot in the final.
French second seed Ugo Humbert will play Canadian Gabriel Diallo in the other semi.
Diallo knocked out third seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(6) 6-4 while the Frenchman eliminated Portuguese Nuno Borges, seeded seventh, 6-1 6-4.
In the women's draw, second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova came from a set down to beat Veronika Kudermetova 5-7 6-4 6-2.
In the semi-finals, she will face Belgian third seed Elise Mertens, who ousted China's Yue Yuan 6-0 6-4.
Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse upset Canadian wildcard Bianca Andreescu 6-2 6-4 and will face Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Scottish Sun

2 hours ago

• Scottish Sun

Terence Crawford says there is ‘nothing' Canelo Alvarez can do to beat him… even in a STREET fight

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TERENCE CRAWFORD warned Canelo Alvarez there is nothing he can do to beat him - even in a STREET fight. The unbeaten American jumps two divisions to challenge for Canelo's undisputed super-middleweight world title on September 13 in Las Vegas. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Terence Crawford says he would beat Canelo Alvarez even in a street fight Credit: AFP 4 Canelo faces Crawford on September 13 in Las Vegas Credit: Reuters Canelo once talked down the blockbuster bout - believing he had nothing to gain from beating a man who started his career at lightweight. So the Mexican great was probed on the damage a loss to two-time undisputed champ Crawford would have on his iconic record. But cool as ice Canelo, 34, replied: "He's not gonna beat me. Don't worry about it, he's not going to beat me. "I think this fight is going to be in the history books of boxing, for sure." READ MORE IN boxing CRAW TO BE KIND Crawford says Canelo bout biggest in 20 YEARS & lifts lid on sharing dinner Crawford, 37, snapped back: "For sure them belts are coming with me, they're coming home with me. "I'm taking them, and there ain't nothing you can do about it come fight night. I promise you. You see I'm different than all the others ones." Canelo - who has won titles all the way from 154lb to 175lb - countered: "You don't look different. Nothing different." Crawford has not returned since last August when he beat Israil Madrimov, 30, for WBA light-middleweight title. 4 CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Meanwhile, Canelo regained his undisputed 168lb throne with victory over William Scull, 32, in May in Riyadh. He now headlines on Netflix at the Las Vegas Raiders' £1BILLION 65,000-seater stadium against Crawford - who says there is no way he loses to Canelo - in the ring or otherwise. Terence Crawford opens up on dinner with Canelo Alvarez ahead of 'biggest fight in 20 YEARS' He said: "Come on, man. You know what I do. "I don't have to talk about it, on the streets me against anybody, I ain't ever gonna say another man can whoop me. That's your answer there." But Canelo hit back: "We're not talking about the streets we're talking about boxing, the beautiful sport of boxing."

Daily Record

3 hours ago

• Daily Record

Why Justin Thomas is getting 'p*****d off' as he soars at the Travelers

American star takes anger of Oakmont into superb show at TPC River Highlands Passionate Justin Thomas admits he still gets 'p****d off' more than he should after bad weeks at the office. The American star produced a brilliant Friday 64 in gusting winds to join Scottie Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard at the Travelers Championship. ‌ Thomas was a picture of dejection last week at the US Open when he played terribly by his own admission and missed the cut at a second-straight Major. ‌ The 32-year-old hung around Oakmont on the Saturday to put in graft and help his game, but it didn't stop him hurting at the display and he admits it still takes longer than he would like to get over bad showings and close the book. Thomas said: 'It unfortunately hasn't become any easier. I still get pretty p****d off about it and it weighs on me more than it should. I think you hear a lot of guys talk about it, their golf defining them and it doesn't change who they are as a person. But I still very clearly think of myself as my person of how I'm playing golf. I would like to change that, but it's just the reality. It means a lot to me. 'You could say it's good or bad, but coming to a place that I like and I feel like I kind of know, it's a lot easier for me to get over last week versus if I was going to a course that I haven't had success at or I feel like I have a hard time playing, then it could be a little like: Uh oh, what are we going to do kind of thing. 'It's a great tournament and it's deserved a lot of accolades and a lot of respect from players and fans and everybody. Now the guys are coming to play it. I think they see it. It's a really fun golf course, especially after the week after the US Open. That can sometimes not be that fun. It feels like a little bit of a relief. It also still requires a lot, but it's a totally different kind. 'I went out and practised a good bit Saturday because I felt like I played pretty terribly and wanted to get some work in. I felt I was close and just wasn't sharp. Just too many shots that weren't good enough.' ‌ Thomas, who won this year's RBC Heritage, delivered some magic with five-straight birdies down the nine nine to rifle himself towards the summit in Connecticut and it was even-more impressive given the buffeting winds which hit TPC River Highlands and put the brakes on some scoring. He said: 'I felt like I was in good control. I just kept it out of trouble, but it's still a good sign on a really windy day that, if I have far from my best, I can just get it around the course and then just stay patient. 'It was a lot of crosswinds and the difference of riding the wind and holding the wind has a big difference of distance control and everything. It's hard to get in the rhythm and I kind of struggled with that. I'm giving it enough room to stay luckily in the fairway. ‌ 'The last probably three or four years, I've just committed to almost hitting driver or three-wood and just kind of hitting just a little like dinky kind of shot out there. Something to where like I don't care what it looks like. I don't care anything. I'm just trying to hit it in a fairway and whatever is most comfortable doing that. "I think it's why I have had some good rounds in conditions like this because I can't really play golf swing, I have to play way more golf and I can't be over the ball thinking about what it's like here. getting this way or one way or another, with the winds blowing 25 or 30 off my left shoulder, I need to figure out how to make it not go right and it's just all feel. There's something to be said for that. I just need to do a better job of doing that when it's blowing five miles an hour and not 35 miles an hour. "It's why Scottie is so good in the wind, he hits the middle of the club face about every time. That's a huge part of it. The distance control. Hit the shot that you're requiring. It's way more art because you just have to create and kind of feel out there. 'I played so many rounds of golf and so many different kinds of conditions that I think you almost have like kind of muscle memory or just memory of stuff in past. And then you just try to hopefully pick up on some things that you've learned and just notice. Like in an Open Championship or something or, or, or any tournament, you're kind of not middle of the pack or something and see like windy conditions, I just get excited because I know it's extremely difficult and a couple under goes a really, really, really long way. I just try to embrace it and feel like I do a decent job of that.'

South Wales Argus

4 hours ago

• South Wales Argus

Jack Draper taking nothing for granted despite ‘huge step' into top four

Draper ensured he will be the fourth seed at SW19 after reaching the semi-finals at Queen's Club for the first time. The British number one battled past American Brandon Nakashima 6-4 5-7 6-4 on the Andy Murray Arena. Draper is now two wins away from becoming only the second home men's singles winner in the Open era – after the man in whose honour the court is named. But more importantly, Draper has moved above Novak Djokovic and Taylor Fritz in the world rankings to a career-high of four. That means at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old can avoid Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the world numbers one and two respectively, until the semi-finals. 'I've got to get to the semis first,' he smiled, before adding: 'I think it's a definite huge step for me. 'I remember last year going in ranked around 30 or 40. To be inside the top four one year around, that's massive progress, a testament to my team, the dedication I have had for tennis, the work I have put in on a daily basis. 'You know, I live and breathe the sport, and I'm obsessed with progressing and obsessed with becoming the player that I want to become all the time and achieve the things I want to. 'It's another step in the right direction. At Wimbledon, regardless of seeding, each match is very difficult, because obviously you've got loads of top players in the draw, a bit like this week. 'But it gives me confidence knowing I'm in that position and I'm going to be in the right place for that.' Jacob Fearnley's run at Queen's is over (Ben Whitley/PA) In the semi-finals Draper will face Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka, who ended Jacob Fearnley's promising debut run. The British number two looked heavy-legged in an error-strewn 7-5 6-2 defeat. Fearnley was scheduled to play the opening match despite a gruelling three-setter against Corentin Moutet the day before, followed by a win in the doubles – alongside Cameron Norrie – over Lehecka and Fritz. 'Obviously if I'd known I was going to be put on first the day after playing a long match in 32 degrees and playing another doubles match late at night, then I probably wouldn't have played doubles,' he said. 'It's just difficult to predict those things sometimes. It's just about being smart about it, really.' Top seed Alcaraz eased through to the other semi-final after beating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 7-5 6-4. Alcaraz, who spent almost three and a half hours on court on Thursday beating fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar, said: 'I could feel better but honestly I thought I would be feeling worse than I am right now. 'But as tennis players we have to do what we have to do and that's to recover and play the next day. I am glad today was one hour and 20 minutes.'