On Day Nine of the 2024 Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the men’s quarter-finals concluded, with Tommy Paul and Nicolas Jarry joining Sascha Zverev and Alejandro Tabilo in the semifinals.
Paul was first to progress, defeating Hurkacz during the afternoon session before Jarry surprised Tsitsipas on Thursday evening.
Below is a quick recap, match stats, and highlights of both quarter-finals played on Thursday.
Day Nine Italian Open 2024 Quarter Final Results
| Winner | Loser | Scoreline |
|---|---|---|
| Tommy Paul (14) | Hubert Hurkacz (7) | 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 |
| Nicolas Jarry (21) | Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) | 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 |
Paul Pips Hurkacz
Tommy Paul secured a semifinal berth at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Thursday, pipping Hubert Hurkacz to the post in a topsy-turvy match in Rome.
Paul triumphed over Hurkacz with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in a contest marked by frequent shifts in momentum and 13 serve breaks! 7 of which went the way of the American, which while you expect more on clay, isn’t typical against Hurkacz who leads the serving charts this season.
Paul, who missed the start of the clay season due to twisting his ankle during the Sunshine Double when he was using Tim Henman-esque tactics, showed resilience and stamina, especially in the decisive set, where he rallied from an early deficit before navigating a tense final service game where he saved six break points and overcame three squandered match points before clinching the win on his fourth match point to progress in 2 hours and 43 minutes.
This victory marks the first time he has achieved back-to-back victories against top-10 players, having knocked out defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the previous round, and he’s now on the cusp of replacing Taylor Fritz as the top-ranked American.
I started off pretty well, but things really got away from me there in the second set and at the beginning of the third. I just had to stick around and fake a little energy to get myself going there in the third. I started looking for my forehand more, hitting it bigger and playing with a bit more intensity. That was probably the key for me in the end.
My game plan was, ‘I’ve got to get into as many of his service games as possible’, to try and get a couple of breaks. From that aspect, I did very well today, but in my next match, I will probably focus on holding serve a little bit more!.
The court position is a big thing. I can play aggressively from the back of the court. I think that’s what [Stine] wants me to do. Sometimes, when I want to play aggressively, I get ahead of myself and get too close to the baseline. The last match I played I was on offence a lot, so I guess I came out thinking it would be the same. Obviously, with Hubi, he can crush the ball, so I had to give a little bit of ground there in the end. Paul on his gameplan vs Hurkacz.
Match Stats
| Hubert Hurkacz | Tommy Paul | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 8 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 5 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 54% | 69% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 62% (32/52) | 54% (44/81) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 40% (18/45) | 56% (20/36) |
| Break Points Saved | 46% (6/13) | 67% (12/18) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 46% (37/81) | 38% (20/52) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 44% (16/36) | 60% (27/45) |
| Break Points Converted | 33% (6/18) | 54% (7/13) |
| Winners | 25 | 28 |
| Unforced Errors | 29 | 21 |
| Net Points Won | 55% (17/31) | 70% (23/33) |
| Max Points In Row | 8 | 7 |
| Service Points Won | 52% (50/97) | 55% (64/117) |
| Return Points Won | 45% (53/117) | 48% (47/97) |
| Total Points Won | 48% (103/214) | 52% (111/214) |
| Max Games In Row | 5 | 4 |
| Service Games Won | 53% (8/15) | 60% (9/15) |
| Return Games Won | 40% (6/15) | 47% (7/15) |
| Total Games Won | 47% (14/30) | 53% (16/30) |
Highlights
Jarry Jostles Past Tsitsipas
Nicolas Jarry reached his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semifinal on Thursday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, upsetting sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The 21st-seeded Chilean powered through the match with rock-solid baseline play, firing 23 forehand winners and a tweener lob that won him a point to prevent the Greek making the last four for the third straight year.
Despite Jarry playing well and saving many breakpoints with big-time forehands, Tsitsipas missed a big chance to win, as he was ‘large and in charge’ for a significant portion of the match.
Jarry swung things in his favour at 3-3 in the second set by winning five straight points from 0/40 down. He then reeled off nine of the final 11 points of the set to force a decisive third.
In the decider, Tsitsipas broke early but couldn’t maintain his advantage as Jarry broke back and then secured a matching winning break at 5-4, converting his fourth match point to move 4-2 ahead in their head-to-head rivalry.
Alongside personal achievement, the victory marks a big moment for Chilean tennis, as Jarry, alongside countryman Alejandro Tabilo, became the first Chilean since Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu in 2006 to reach the semifinals of an ATP Tour event.
Jarry now prepares to face 14th seed Tommy Paul in the semifinals and confidently enters that matchup, having won their previous encounter at Roland Garros last year.
I think beating Stefanos on clay is a good achievement. I’m certainly happy with my fight today, for how I played and how I maintained myself. I kept trying to find different ways to have chances on his serve. I knew I was playing well. I had to adjust some things in the backhand so he didn’t push me back; that’s why he played so well. I was able to do those things, and I’m extremely happy for the win. I always practice, trying to find ways to be better, be stronger, be happier, and enjoy it more. In the last two matches, I’ve enjoyed it a lot, so that’s my greatest achievement so far. Happy for that and that it’s brought me into the semis. [I will] try to continue this path. I’m playing pretty well; I want to maintain it. That’s the toughest thing of all. Jarry on his win over Tsitsipas.
Match Stats
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Nicolas Jarry | |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 5 | 8 |
| Double Faults | 7 | 2 |
| 1st Serve Percentage | 70% | 66% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 71% (51/72) | 69% (47/68) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 48% (15/31) | 60% (21/35) |
| Break Points Saved | 67% (6/9) | 85% (11/13) |
| 1st Return Points Won | 31% (21/68) | 29% (21/72) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 40% (14/35) | 52% (16/31) |
| Break Points Converted | 15% (2/13) | 33% (3/9) |
| Winners | 20 | 36 |
| Unforced Errors | 17 | 18 |
| Net Points Won | 64% (14/22) | 76% (29/38) |
| Max Points In Row | 7 | 8 |
| Service Points Won | 64% (66/103) | 66% (68/103) |
| Return Points Won | 34% (35/103) | 36% (37/103) |
| Total Points Won | 49% (101/206) | 51% (105/206) |
| Max Games In Row | 3 | 3 |
| Service Games Won | 81% (13/16) | 87% (13/15) |
| Return Games Won | 13% (2/15) | 19% (3/16) |
| Total Games Won | 48% (15/31) | 52% (16/31) |
Highlights
Italian Open 2024 Semifinal Matches
- Alejandro Tabilo (29) vs Alexander Zverev (3)
- Nicolas Jarry (21) vs Tommy Paul (14)
Who makes the final?
