Paris (AFP)
Gael Monfils dominated Slovenian Aljaz Bedene, 72nd overall, in two sets (7-5, 6-1) to advance to the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna on Friday, a victory that allows him to maintain the hope of a qualification for the Masters.
The 33-year-old Parisian, 14th in the world, is part of a dozen players still in the race to pocket one of the last two qualifying tickets for the prestigious tournament of end of the year, organized from November 10 to 17 in London.
"I'm getting better and better, I really found the right pace in the service," said Monfils, who has already competed once at the Masters in 2016 (elimination in the group phase).
The French N.1, 13th in the "Race" (the ranking that counts for the Masters), will face Saturday Diego Schwartzman (15th world), which has him even a slim chance to invite himself to the "Masters tournament". The 27-year-old Argentinian dominated earlier one of his direct competitors, Karen Khachanov (7-6 (8/6), 6-2). The Russian, defending the Masters 1000 Paris-Bercy, which starts Monday, has almost said goodbye to the trip to London.
Monfils has temporarily reduced the gap (310 units) between him and Italian Matteo Berrettini (310), who is in the eighth and final qualifying place for the Masters.
The semifinalist of the US Open also qualified for the last four in Vienna by defeating Russia's Andrey Rublev (22nd) 7-5, 7-6 (7/4). This success will enable him, at 23, to become the fourth Italian to join the top 10 in the professional era (since 1968), after Adriano Panatta, Corrado Barazzutti and Fabio Fognini.
Berrettini will face Austrian Dominic Thiem (5th) on Saturday, already assured of a place in the Masters. The double finalist of Roland-Garros (2018, 2019) benefited from the abandonment of the Spaniard Pablo Carreno who threw in the towel before the end of the first set (5-0 in favor of Thiem).
© 2019 AFP