Tennis: Tsitsipas and Ruud in the semi-finals in Barcelona

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, 7th in the world, in turn qualified for the semi-finals of the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona on Friday by winning in pain against the Argentinian Facundo Diaz Acosta (53rd) in three sets (4 -6, 6-3, 7-6 (10/8)). He joins in the last four the Norwegian Casper Ruud, 6th in the ATP ranking and seeded N.3 in the Catalan tournament, who fell a little earlier against the Italian Matteo Arnaldi (40th) in two sets 6-4, 6-3 , and who will face Thomas Martin Etcheverry (30th) in the half.

Tsitsipas and Ruud, who faced each other in the final of the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo and are among the favorites at Roland Garros, could meet again in the final.

Tsitsipas, winner of the Monaco tournament last Sunday, had to fight to gain the upper hand over the Argentine left-hander, who pocketed the first set 6-4 before folding in the middle of the second, the Greek managing to raise his level of play to return to a set everywhere (6-3). Fairer and more aggressive, the Athenian believed he had done the hardest part by breaking his opponent from the outset in the third set, finally won in the tie-break (7-6 (10/8)) after having saved two balls from match.