(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Second seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille needed three sets to beat Yuichi Sugita of Japan to enter the semifinals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Thursday.
Pouille came back after losing the first to beat Japanese eighth seed Sugita 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the third singles quarterfinal of the day.
The 24-year-old Pouille will now take on Serbian seventh seed Filip Krajinovic in Fridays semifinal.
In the last quarterfinal on Thursday, Krajinovic beat Russian Evgeny Donsky, who stunned Roger Federer in Dubai second last year, in straight sets 6-1 6-2.
He (Krajinovic) is a very good player. I mean, he made the final in Bercy last year at the end of the season. It was not so long ago, Pouille said of his semifinal rival. I think, yeah, he going to improve his ranking. I think he's going to become top 20 very soon. I know it's going to be a very tough match if I want to reach the final, Pouille added.
Earlier, Tunisian wild card Malek Jaziri continued his dream run by beating Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 3-6 6-3 to set up a semifinal clash with Roberto Bautista Agut.
Agut, the third seeded Spaniard had earlier defeated Croatian Borna Coric, a Dubai semifinalist in 2015, in straight sets 7-6 (7/4) in the first quarterfinal.
Results
Tuesday
Singles
Roberto Bautista Agut (3) (Spain) beat Borna Coric (Croatia) 7-6 (7/4) 6-4
(WC) Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) (WC) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) 6-4 3-6 6-3
Lucas Pouille (France) (2) beat Yuichi Sugita (Japan) (8) 6-3 3-6 6-2
Filip Krajinovic (Serbia) (7) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 6-1 6-2
Doubles
(WC) Jamie Cerretani (US)/Leander Paes (India) beat Raven Klaasen (South Africa)/Michael Venus (New Zealand) (4) 2-6 6-4 10-7
Ivan Dodig (Croatia)/Rajeev Ram (US) (3) beat Robin Haase (Netherlands)/Matwe Middelkoop (Netherlands) 6-3 7-6
Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands)/Horia Tecau (Romania) (2) beat Marcin Matkowski (Poland)/Aisam-Ul Qureshi (Pakistan) 6-4 6-4
Order of Play
Friday
Centre Court
2:30pm
Doubles semifinals
Ivan Dodig (Croatia)/Rajeev Ram (US) (3) vs Jean-Julien Rojer (Netherlands)/Horia Tecau (Romania) (2)
Not before 5pm
Singles semifinal
Filip Krajinovic (Serbia) (7) vs Lucas Pouille (France) (2)
7pm
(WC) Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) (WC) vs Roberto Bautista Agut (3) (Spain)
Followed by
Doubles semifinals
Damir Dzumhur (Bosnia)/Filip Krajinovic (Serbia) vs (WC) Leander Paes (India)/Jamie Cerretani (US)
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