DALLAS – Seventh-seeded Marcos Giron upended No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz – his practice partner – 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3) to advance to the semifinals of the ATP Dallas Open.
Giron battled back after losing the second set and falling behind 4-2 in the third set.
“When I was down a break in the third, we got a change of balls, and I was able to kind of take advantage of that,” Giron said. “Once I was able to sneak out a break, my level improved.”
By defeating the 19th-ranked player in the world, No. 70 Giron scored his fifth career win in 18 chances against top 20 players to reach his second ATP semifinal.
Fritz was playing in his first tournament as the top seed.
“I’ve practiced with Fritz so much,” Giron said. “We’re both based in LA and we both train in Carson so we know each other’s game well.”
In Saturday’s semifinals, Giron will meet No. 4 Jenson Brooksby, who dispatched Australian Jordan Thompson 6-3, 6-0.
After taking a 3-2 lead in the first set with a service break, Brooksby fell behind love-40 but rallied to win that game.
“I think that was a turning point,” Brooksby said. “I loosened up a little bit and got more confidence and belief after that.”
Thompson won only one more game in the match.
“It’s good for me to get a lead like that. You loosen up, you can play a little freer. Playing the right way heading into the (semifinal) match,” Brooksby said. “Also, a little less time on court just helps going into the next match.”
Giron had the only service break in the first set against Fritz. Giron almost gave back a 5-4 lead by falling behind 30-40 but rallied to hold serve and win the set.
Fritz’s serving dominated the second set, winning three games without a point for Giron.
The third set looked similar as Fritz took a 4-2 lead. Giron broke Fritz to tie the match. Each player had a break and then held serve to send the match into the tiebreak. Then they both reached match point, but neither could win the point.
Giron never trailed in the tiebreak, and he scored the final three points and to win when Fritz hit long. Fritz had won the only previous ATP match between the two.
In quarterfinal doubles, Americans Sam Querrey and Jackson Withrow defeated American Nathaniel Lammons and Andre Goransson of Sweden 7-6(4), 7-6(3). Lloyd Glasspool of Great Britain and Harri Heliovaara of Finland held off Mexicans Hans Hach Verdugo and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6-1, 7-6(3).
Querrey and Withrow will take on top-seeded Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Jean-Juliern Rojer of the Netherlands, the only remaining seeded pair. Glasspool and Heliovaara will meet Americans John Isner and Jack Sock in Saturday’s semifinals.
