Tennis News: Andrey Rublev seal Bastad semifinal place

He was determined to make a comeback after skipping Wimbledon, and his game reflected that. He gave a strong performance and avoided playing the third set with him despite breaking Djere in the match's first game and then losing in the next game. Despite his frustration, he held up well. Towards the end, Rublev pulled the game into his favour and sealed the opening set 7-5.

He made powerful attacks using his forehand but couldn't find many chances to trump his opponent. The beginning of the second set presented an excellent opportunity for Djere, but he was knocked over by a 40-15 on the Russian's serve. Although he fought hard, Rublev broke him to make the score 5-3. He had trouble when he attempted to serve out the match at 5-4, being down 15-40, but he converted his third match point to win the match to set up a semifinal.

Sebastian Baez thrashes Dominic Thiem for the Bastad semifinal

Sebastian Baez proved his worth as a strong clay player by outclassing Dominic Thiem in three sets 6-2 6-7(5) 6-4. Baez delivered an impressive performance, although it wasn't his best. Thiem has been a tough competitor since his return, so it was a task to eliminate him from the tournament. Baez dominated the opening set with his powerful forehand, and the Argentine won it 6-2 rather quickly but couldn't keep up with Thiem. He found some momentum in the second set, and early on, he faced a 0-40 that he was able to save. 

Eventually, Baez dropped his serve but resurfaced to make it 3-3. He kept up the pressure, forcing a match point at 5-4. Thiem fended it off and outplayed Baez to win the second set in the tiebreak 7-5. His serve helped him swim during that match phase with several free points. The decider, however, did not begin on a positive note for Thiem, who was coaxed into staving off multiple break points in the first game. He then tried to match Baez's intensity but failed. The Argentine patiently took his bait, prompting Thiem to make an error 2-2. That was where he could hold his serve without too much effort, only facing just one break point along the way.