World number one Daniil Medvedev lost to Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals of the Mallorca Open on Thursday, while second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the last four.
Medvedev was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Bautista Agut who avenged his defeat by the Russian in last week’s quarter-finals at Halle.
“I had to play very good to beat Daniil. He’s the number one, the last champion here in Mallorca. He just beat me a few days ago. I played a really complete match,” said Bautista Agut.
Bautista Agut broke Medvedev once in the first set and twice in the second as he earned a fourth win in five meetings with the US Open champion.
The loss marks the end of Medvedev’s grass-court season. He is one of several players banned from Wimbledon following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Bautista Agut takes on Switzerland’s 303rd-ranked Antoine Bellier in the semi-finals. The qualifier defeated Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 5-7, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
Bellier is the lowest-ranked semi-finalist since Juan Manuel Cerundolo, then 335th in the world, triumphed in Cordoba in 2021.
Tsitsipas needed three sets to get past American Marcos Giron.
The Greek saved two break points to start the final set and then broke Giron in the eighth game before completing a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-3 victory.
“It was a lot of work today. It was not easy,” he said.
Tsitsipas, who has lost in the first round on three of his four appearances at Wimbledon, will play France’s Benjamin Bonzi for a place in the final. He has never won a title on grass.
Kvitova through to Eastbourne semis
Petra Kvitova moved into the Eastbourne semi-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Harriet Dart as the former Wimbledon champion stepped up her preparations for next week’s Grand Slam.
Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, is using the WTA Tour event on England’s south coast to warm up for her grass-court title bid.
The 32-year-old veteran might be past her peak these days, but she is still a danger on grass.
Dart showed glimpses of her talent during a spirited display against 14th seed Kvitova but never seriously threatened an upset.
Kvitova dominated thanks to a series of powerful groundstrokes and deservedly claimed a second British scalp, having eliminated Katie Boulter in the previous round.
Dart, 25, denied her Czech opponent’s first two match points but, having briefly turned that precarious position into her first break point of the afternoon, was unable to save the third.
Kvitova will play Beatriz Haddad Maia in Friday’s semi-finals after the Brazilian 15th seed received a walkover against Lesia Tsurenko, who was suffering from an elbow injury.
In the other semi-final, former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko faces Italy’s Camila Giorgi.
Latvia’s Ostapenko, the reigning Eastbourne champion, overcame Anhelina Kalinina 6-3, 6-2, while Giorgi defeated Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-1.
In the men’s singles, American third seed Taylor Fritz will meet Australian Alex De Minaur in the semi-finals.
Fritz beat Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-2 and De Minaur saw off Tommy Paul 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
Jack Draper is the last British player in the men’s or women’s singles after beating compatriot Ryan Peniston 6-3, 6-3.
Draper plays France-born American Maxime Cressy in the last four.
Cressy defeated British number one Cameron Norrie 7-5, 7-5.