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Rafael Nadal won his third straight three set match today in Basel, turning away Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. It wasn’t Nadal’s best stuff, but after an early break in the third the former No. 1 cruised to victory over the 2014 US Open champ, and continued to rebuild his confidence.
On a long day in which all four quarterfinal matches went the distance, Richard Gasquet kept his slim London hopes alive saving a match point to beat Ivo Karlovic in a final set breaker 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-6(6).
Karlovic falls to 0-9 this year in final set breakers.
Gasquet, who has to win both Basel and Paris to have any chance at London, moves on to face Nadal in the semifinals.
Jack Sock continued his rise beating compatriot Donald Young in three sets 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. All three wins this week for Sock have come at the expense of fellow Americans.
“It feels great. I didn’t expect to play three Americans in a row coming over here to Europe in the fall,” said Sock who also beat Denis Kudla and John Isner. “But it’s good for American tennis. Unfortunately, I had to play three friends in a row. But it feels good to be in my first semi.”
Awaiting Sock in the semis is 6-time champion Roger Federer. The Swiss superstar needed to three sets to brush off David Goffin in a match that ended close to midnight. In the rematch of the 2014 Basel final, Federer won again this time 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
Federer beat Sock in their only meeting earlier this year at Indian Wells 6-3, 6-2.
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