Matteo Berretini is an ATP Tour semi-finalist once again.
The Italian moved past countryman Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 7-6(5) in the Grand Prix Hassan II on Friday to advance to the last four at a tour-level event for the first time since Naples in October 2022.
The 27-year-old, up to No. 107 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, saved the only break point he faced and played aggressively from 5/5 in the second-set tie-break to triumph after one hour and 42 minutes in Marrakech.
Berrettini is competing in just his second tour-level event of the season after recovering from a foot injury. Last month he reached the title match at the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Phoenix.
Chasing his eighth tour-level title this week, Berrettini will next play Mariano Navone after the seventh seed beat Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 6-2. Navone advanced to the final in Rio de Janeiro in February.
Defending champion Roberto Carballes Baena continued his love affair with Marrakech with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 quarter-final win against American qualifier Nicolas Moreno De Alboran.
The Spaniard, who earned his 100th tour-level win in his previous match against Daniel Evans, has won his past eight matches at the clay-court ATP 250 event. He has now reached five tour-level semi-finals and will next meet Pavel Kotov.
The No. 68 player in the PIF ATP Rankings dispatched Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-2 to advance to his fourth tour-level semi-final.
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