Mensik, Kukushkin set for semis clash

TDT | Manama                                                     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The semi-final match-ups in both the singles and doubles categories of the Bahrain Ministry of Interior Tennis Challenger 2024 are now set, following an exciting day of matches yesterday at the Public Security Officers Club courts in Gudaibiya.

In the singles draw, fourth-seeded Czech Jakub Mensik will take on Kazakh alternate Mikhail Kukushkin, while in the other contest, fifth seed Richard Gasquet of France will square off with Damir Dzumhur of Barbados.

Meanwhile, in the doubles last four, top seeds Luke Johnson of the US and Skander Mansour of Tunisia will play fourth seeds Vasil Kirkov, also of the US, and Patrik Niklas-Salminen of Finland, while second seeds Sergio Martos Gornes of Spain and Petros Tsitsipas of Greece will face the Italian pair of Marco Bortolotti and Alessandro Giannessi in the other doubles semi-final clash.

The four matches are scheduled to be held today, starting with the doubles semis from 11am. The singles semi-finals will then follow later in the afternoon, beginning not before 2.30pm. All are welcome to attend and watch the high-intensity action of the ATP Challenger Tour, featuring some of the best tennis professionals in the world.

In yesterday’s quarter-final action, Mensik marched through to the next stage after defeating Marco Trungelliti of Argentina, who retired from the match after the third game in the second set. Mensik, currently ranked 129th in the world, won the first frame 6-3 against his 229^th ranked opponent, and then was leading in the second set 2-1 when Trungelliti withdrew.

Kukushkin also powered into the ensuing stage after ending the run of Jordanian Abdullah Shelbayh 6-4, 6-4. He will now take on Mensik in an exciting encounter.

Berth

Gasquet needed to go three sets to book his berth in the semis. After losing the first set to British opponent Billy Harris, the 130th-ranked Frenchman rallied to take the contest in just over two hours with a winning score line of 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 to barge through.

Gasquet next faces Dzumhur, 160th in the world, who defeated Daniel Rincon of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in their match yesterday. In yesterday’s doubles quarter-finals, Johnson and Mansouri didn’t have to break a sweat as they won their match via walkover against the Swiss tandem of Marc-Andrea Huesler and Alexander Ritschard. Earlier in the day, however, they played a round-of-16 affair against Serbian duo Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov, winning 6-3, 6-2.

Johnson and Mansouri now take on Kirkov and Niklas-Salminen, who were another pair to win via walkover against the partnership of Rincon and Shelbayh. Martos Gornes and Tsitsipas were 6-4, 6-3 winners against Japan’s Toshihide Matsui and Kaito Uesugi to advance to the last four, while Bortolotti and Giannessi had a similar 6-3, 6-4 victory against Tunisian Aziz Dougaz and Czech Dalibor Svrcina.