ATP Tour

Etcheverry finds a major spark in thrilling Buenos Aires win

Tomas Martin Etcheverry soared to his first ATP Tour semi-final since last May on Friday at the IEB+ Argentina Open, where he used the support from a vocal home crowd and high-quality shotmaking in key moments to earn a comeback 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory against Alejandro Tabilo.

Tabilo had defeated former champions Facundo Diaz Acosta and Joao Fonseca in his first two matches at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Buenos Aires and looked on course for another victory after a dominant first set.

However, Etcheverry hit a scorching forehand winner to break Tabilo’s serve at 0-1 in the second set and that moment changed the complexion of the clash. The seventh seed struck 14 winners in the second set to level and then fired an astonishing backhand pass from near the advertising boards at 4-4 in the third set to break Tabilo again. He served out in two hours and seven minutes to reach the last four in Buenos Aires for the first time.

“I am so happy,” Etcheverry said. “The first set was so tough for me, but in the second set I started to play my best tennis and then in the third set at 4-4, I got the break with the passing shot with my backhand, down the line, was incredible. I am super happy to play here with my people.”

Etcheverry, who is 6-3 on the year according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, is chasing his first tour-level title this week and will next play top seed Francisco Cerundolo or Vit Kopriva.