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For the first time in the Open era, three qualifiers will compete in the ATP tournament's semi-final in Kitzbuhel. The last year's Rio de Janeiro champion Laslo Djere is yet to find that level again, dropping out from the top-80 and having to qualify in Kitzbuhel.
In February, the Serb lost to Diego Schwartzman in the semi-final in Cordoba, avenging that loss in Austria after beating the Argentine 7-6, 6-3 in an hour and 53 minutes. Diego didn't play well in the first match on Thursday, prevailing over Sebastian Ofner but having no luck today, getting broken five times from six chances offered to Djere.
Laslo fended off four out of seven break chances, surviving the opening set and securing three breaks in set number two to find himself in the semis. Schwartzman netted a backhand to lose serve at love in game four of the opener, pulling the break back at 2-4 when Djere wasted three game points.
The Argentine grabbed another break at 4-4 to use the momentum, serving for the set and failing to bring it home. Laslo broke back in the very last moment, earning a boost and taking the tie break 7-2 following another backhand error from the 2nd seed.
Djere score breaks in games three and seven in set number two, failing to finish the job at 5-2 but earning another break in game nine to stay on the title course. Another qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler will compete in the first ATP semi-final, beating Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 23 minutes.
World no. 303 lost 18 points in nine service games, saving three out of four break chances and converting four out of 14 break opportunities to seal the deal in straight sets. Huesler won the opener with breaks in games one and five, serving out for the set at 5-4 and delivering another break at the beginning of the second.
The veteran survived ten deuces and six break chances in the fifth game, sating within one break deficit before the Swiss sealed the deal with a break at 5-3.
For the first time, three qualifiers will compete in the ATP event semi-final.
In the German qualifiers' battle, Yannick Hanfmann took down Maximilian Marterer 6-2, 7-5 after an hour and 17 minutes, competing in his first ATP tournament since Hamburg last year and reaching the first semis since Gstaad 2017.
Hanfmann fired ten aces and lost only 16 points behind the initial shot, losing serve once and delivering four breaks to emerge at the top. The first set was over in half an hour and Yannick clinched it with a double break, coming from 4-2 down in the second and taking 12 of the final 15 points to grab the set 7-5 and march through.
In the most prolonged encounter, Miomir Kecmanovic toppled Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 after two hours and 33 minutes, never losing serve and breaking the Argentine once in sets one and three to finish on the winning side.
Delbonis survived the second set tie break but couldn't reach another one, getting broken in the encounter's last game to propel Miomir into the semis.