Chennai, India – World No. 80 Roberto Bautista Agut stunned sixth-ranked Czech star Tomas Berdych in Friday's quarterfinal action at the ATP World Tour's season-opening Chennai Open.
The 24-year Bautista Agut toppled the top-seeded Berdych 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 in 2 hours, 17 minutes at SDAT Tennis Stadium. The former Wimbledon runner-up Berdych smacked 11 aces in a losing effort.
Meanwhile, second-seeded world No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic handled eighth-seeded Japanese Go Soeda 6-2, 6-4 to reach the final four. Tipsarevic was last year's Chennai runner-up to Canadian Milos Raonic.
Saturday's semifinals will pit Tipsarevic against upstart Slovenian Aljaz Bedene and fifth-seeded rising Frenchman Benoit Paire versus Bautista Agut. Paire upended third-seeded two-time Chennai champion Marin Cilic 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, while Bedene bounced fourth-seeded Swiss slugger Stanislas Wawrinka 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). Cilic titled here back-to-back in 2009 and 2010, while Wawrinka was the 2011 titlist and 2010 Chennai runner-up to Cilic.
This event serves as a hardcourt tune-up for the Australian Open, which will commence January 14.
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