We didn’t sing in the rain, but we did play some serious tennis on the Centre Court at Parc des Eaux-Vives before night fell. Sebastian Ofner (ATP 128) and Hubert Hurkacz (ATP 31) defied the odds to face off Friday in the top-half semi-final.
Coming from the qualifiers, Sebastian Ofner won 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 against Karen Khachanov. The way he turned the match around was truly impressive. With his powerful forehand shots, the Austrian eventually wore down the Russian’s resistance to reach his fifth career semi-final on the ATP Tour. After undergoing left heel surgery last September, he confirmed at the Gonet Geneva Open the strong form he showed in Rome, where he won four matches, including one against Frances Tiafoe, before losing in the round of 16 to Francisco Cerundolo.
In Geneva, he can claim a sixth win since last Saturday in this semi-final against Hubert Hurkacz. The two players will meet again at Parc des Eaux-Vives… nine years after their first encounter in the first round of a Futures tournament in the Czech Republic, which Hubert Hurkacz won 6-2, 6-5. On Thursday, the Pole eliminated world no. 4 Taylor Fritz, also confirming his return to form, which began in Rome with a victory over Jakub Mensik. With a 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) win over the American, the former world no. 6 comes into this semi-final as the logical favorite. But he knows all too well that nothing can be taken for granted against that devilish Sebastian Ofner.
