“I hope I can make the final again,” Benneteau assured. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow. It will be difficult. But I will try to be back in the final again and play better.”
Next up for Benneteau is a fourth career meeting (third this season) with Ernests Gulbis, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Benjamin Becker. Gulbis held all 11 of his service games and saved all three of the break points he faced to see off Becker in one hour and 18 minutes.
“Today was much better,” said Gulbis, who had needed three sets against Philipp Petzschner in his tournament opener. “When I broke [Becker] in the second set, I played three unbelievable points. I’m finding my game.”
The other semifinal will pit No. 1 seed Kei Nishikori against Jarkko Nieminen. Nishikori crushed Marinko Matosevic 6-3, 6-0, while Nieminen ousted seventh-seeded Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-4.
An all-seeded semifinal on Saturday will feature No. 4 Tommy Robredo and No. 6 Santiago Giraldo. Robredo needed two hours and 36 minutes to survive Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. The Spaniard held all 16 of his service games while facing just a single break point. Giraldo dismissed qualifier Viktor Troicki 7-6(6), 6-3 despite firing only one ace to Troicki’s nine.
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