Defending champion Daniil Medvedev was sent packing at the Western & Southern Open in New York after Roberto Bautista Agut hit back from one set down to prevail in their quarter-final.
Medvedev looked to be cruising in losing just one game in a 28-minute opening set, but the third seed was left reeling after Bautista Agut dug deep to triumph 1-6 6-4 6-3 and set up a semi-final meeting with Novak Djokovic.
Bautista Agut, seeded eighth, saved 15 of 20 break points to frustrate Medvedev as he prevailed in two hours and 13 minutes.
What a comeback! 😲 🇪🇸 @BautistaAgut takes out the defending champion. #CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/YHrvuF0Rvn — ATP Tour (@atptour) August 26, 2020
"After the first set, I was thinking a lot of bad things," Bautista Agut said on the ATP Tour's official website. "It was a very good comeback."
Bautista Agut has won two of his most recent three matches against Djokovic, the world number one, and although the Spaniard is undaunted, he knows he faces a stiff test against the Serbian.
"He is a great player, very solid, very aggressive and he has a lot of weapons," Bautista Agut said.
"Against him, I will try to play my best game to beat him. If I can play a good level it is going to be a good match."
Can anyone stop @DjokerNole? 🤷♂️ The top seed at @CincyTennis moves to 21-0 in 2020! 👏#CInCyTENNIS pic.twitter.com/ukOGrtCnQD — ATP Tour (@atptour) August 26, 2020
Djokovic was rarely stretched as he extended his unbeaten run to 24 matches, which includes a 21-0 record this year, with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff.
"Ever since I made that break at the beginning of the first set, I never looked back," Djokovic said. "I really played very aggressive whenever I had the chance and I was going for my shots."
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the last four after America's Reilly Opelka retired hurt in the first set. The Greek was 6-5 up before Opelka withdrew because of a right knee injury.
Tsitsipas will play Andy Murray's conqueror Milon Raonic after the Canadian dropped his first set of the tournament in a 4-6 7-6 (2) 7-5 defeat of unseeded Serbian Filip Krajinovic.
