New York (AFP)

Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov (28th player in the world) made another spectacular comeback on Thursday to advance to the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 at Indian Wells.

Opposed to the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (12th in the world), the 30-year-old lost the first set before finding the sources to return to a round everywhere.

He then missed the opportunity to conclude on his serve at 5-3 in the third set and finally won in the tie-break in a battle of 2:37, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2).

"I'm so happy to have a day off tomorrow," said the Bulgarian after the match.

“I had never played against Hubert before, he is very dangerous. He served incredibly in the first set. In the second, I felt that I still had some juice to come back. last points ".

Dimitrov continues his march forward after creating a sensation the day before by taking out the Russian Daniil Medvedev, 2nd player in the world and winner of the last US Open, also in three sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

For the first time since 2019, he will return to the semi-finals of a Master 1000.

Hurkasz, winner in Miami last year, stops for the second time in a row in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells after his loss in 2019 to Switzerland's Roger Federer.

- First for Norrie -

* Dimitrov will meet in the next round the Briton Cameron Norrie (26th), easy winner of the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman (15th) in straight sets 6-0, 6-2, and only 1h13 of play.

Briton CAmeron Norrie during his match against Argentinian Diego Schwartzmann, October 14, 2021 in Indian Wells Frederic J. BROWN AFP

Norrie did just about everything in the game, taking the service from the Argentine who made many unforced errors.

Schwartzman then came back to 2-2 in the second set before breaking in on his serve.

"It was probably the greatest game of my career," Norrie said after the game.

"I really felt relaxed and in the present moment at the start of the game. I managed not to think too much and to tell myself that it was a game like any other."

The Briton, winner of the Los Cabos tournament last month, has so far never reached the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 or a Grand Slam tournament.

Among women, Tunisian Ons Jabeur (14th player in the world) won against Estonian Anett Kontaveit (20th in the world) in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

It's the 48th win of the season for the 27-year-old, who will make her first semi-final at Indian Wells on Friday.

Tunisian Ons Jabeur doing push-ups on the court after slipping and falling during her match against Estonian Anett Kontaveit at the Indian Wells tournament on October 14, 2021 Frederic J. BROWN AFP

The Tunisian defeated the Russian Anna Kalinskaya (93rd world) in the previous round in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.

Jabeur is sure to become from next Monday the first tennis player from an Arab country to enter the World Top 10, after her career in the Californian desert.

She was already the first player from an Arab country to reach the quarter-finals of one of the four major tournaments, first at the Australian Open in 2020 and then at Wimbledon in 2021.

She was also the first player from an Arab country to win a WTA title last June at the Birmingham tournament (Great Britain).

Jabeur will be opposed in the semifinals to the Spaniard Paula Badosa (27th), who fell in the same day against the German Angelique Kerber (15th) in two sets 6-4, 7-5.

The 23-year-old player, winner of the Belgrade tournament this year, surprised Tuesday by releasing the Czech Barbora Krejcikova, 5th player in the world and winner of Roland-Garros, 6-1, 7-5.

© 2021 AFP