An unseeded Kyrian Jacquet has continued his remarkable run at the AITO Hangzhou Open, reaching his first ATP Tour semi-final after knocking out another seeded opponent.
The 25-year-old Frenchman defeated sixth seed Fabian Marozsan 7-6(12), 6-4 in the quarter-finals, adding another major upset to a breakthrough week in Hangzhou.
Jacquet had already stunned third seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round, and he showed the same composure under pressure against Marozsan. He saved three set points in the opening tie-break before eventually taking it 14-12, then held his nerve again late in the second set by saving two break points while serving for the match.
He finished the one-hour, 47-minute contest without facing another break, saving all three break points he encountered.
"It was a great match. I had to stay focused during the entire match because it was really tough," Jacquet said after the victory.
His run has also lifted him 25 places to No. 85 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, putting him on course for a new career-high position. He will next face second seed Andrey Rublev for a place in the final.
Rublev had to fight through his own three-set battle to keep his title hopes alive, overcoming Hugo Gaston 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-1.
The Russian was pushed to the brink in the second set and came within three points of defeat before turning the match around. Once he forced a deciding set, Rublev took control and dropped only one game on his way to victory.
The result puts Rublev two wins away from a second title of the season and the 19th ATP Tour trophy of his career. Standing in his way is the in-form Jacquet, who will enter their semi-final with plenty of momentum.
At the other end of the draw, top seed Daniil Medvedev also survived a tough quarter-final, beating Hong Kong's Coleman Wong 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3.
Medvedev fired 18 aces and saved five of six break points to book his place in the last four. His victory is particularly important in the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, with the Russian currently eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin.
Medvedev holds a 371-point advantage over ninth-placed Rafael Jodar, meaning every additional victory in Hangzhou could prove valuable as the season-ending race intensifies.
He will face Roman Safiullin in the semi-finals after the 2023 Chengdu finalist defeated Buyunchaokete 6-3, 6-3.
Safiullin is chasing only his second ATP Tour final and will look to take advantage of another opportunity to make a deep run.
With Jacquet's breakthrough continuing to reshape the draw and the leading seeds fighting to stay alive, the AITO Hangzhou Open is set for two intriguing semi-finals.
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