Tsitsipas eases into Lyon semis; Ruud to meet Shapovalov in Geneva final

World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas eased into the last four of the ATP event in Lyon with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarter-finals on Friday.

Tsitsipas, who dropped just eight service points all match, broke for 4-2 in the first set which he closed out in 31 minutes.

The 22-year-old Greek then broke early in the second and wrapped up the match with comfort.

“It was a good match from my side, he was serving well,” said Tsitsipas.

“His game is a little unpredictable and he is one of the best left-handers out there.

“It’s never easy to construct the point and he is able to penetrate and play shots you don’t expect. I knew he was going to fight and not give up. I am pretty glad to have won.”

Tsitsipas, seeded two in Lyon, will face Italian Lorenzo Musetti after the teenager, ranked 88 in the world, also won in straight sets, beating Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).

Casper Ruud reached the Geneva ATP final on Friday and revealed he will prepare for the French Open by hitting with 13-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal at the Spaniard’s base in Mallorca next week.

Norway’s Ruud made it to the e Gonet Geneva Open title match by beating world number 75 Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-2.

On Saturday, the third seed faces second seeded Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who overcame Uruguayan veteran Pablo Cuevas 6-4, 7-5, for the title.

World number 24 Ruud has already made the semi-finals on clay at Monte Carlo, Munich and Madrid this year.

“I will go to Mallorca to relax a day or two and then practise a couple of days before going to Paris. Rafa is there preparing for Roland Garros, so it will be very good preparation,” Ruud, 22, told reporters.

“He’s eager to play a little bit next week, so I have to enjoy maybe a day or two off and then be ready for tough practises with him.”

Spanish clay-court specialist Andujar knocked out Roger Federer in the round of 16 as the Swiss great finds his feet again after undergoing double knee surgery and spending more than a year out.

Ruud has played in three previous tour finals, all on clay, winning the Buenos Aires title in February last year. Saturday marks the his first final appearance in Europe.

“It means a lot and it gives me also good confidence going into Roland Garros knowing I have been playing good matches in a row,” he said.

“It’s the last day of the tournament that we’re all fighting to get to. It’s the ultimate goal to try to win the whole tournament and the finals are the biggest matches we have.”

Gauff faces Wang in final: Coco Gauff reached her first clay-court final by beating Katerina Siniakova 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 on Friday at the Emilia-Romagna Open.

It’s a second career WTA final for the 17-year-old American, who reached her first semi-final on clay last week at the Italian Open. She is gearing up for the French Open, which starts May 30.

Siniakova eliminated Serena Williams in the second round.

In Saturday’s final, Gauff will face 48th-ranked Wang Qiang, who defeated former US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Wang trailed 5-1 in the second set before rallying to close it out. Gauff is aiming for her second career title, having won her only previous final in Lienz, Austria, in 2019. She improved to 11-3 on clay this year.

Meanwhile, Simona Halep, the 2018 French Open champion, announced Friday she has withdrawn from this year’s tournament because she has failed to recover from a calf injury.

“Unfortunately the tear in my left calf muscle needs more time to recover and the timeline is just too short,” said Halep, the reigning Wimbledon champion.

Halep sustained the injury in her second-round match at the Rome Open on May 12, and the world number three has deemed the recovery time too tight to be fit for the May 30-June 13 Roland Garros.

“Withdrawing from a Grand Slam goes against all my instincts and aspirations as an athlete, but it is the right and only decision to make,” she said.

“The thought of not being in Paris fills me with sadness, but I will focus my energy on recovery, staying positive and getting back on court as soon as it is safe to do so. Roland Garros 2022, I’m coming for you A bientot.”

Agencies