VIENNA (AP) – Jannik Sinner stretched his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 11 matches and 22 sets Friday by beating Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Erste Bank Open.
The seventh-seeded Italian will take on American qualifier Frances Tiafoe for a place in Sunday’s final. In the other semifinal, Alexander Zverev takes on Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz, who upset seventh-ranked Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).
Ruud, who has won a tour-leading five titles this season, led 5-4 in the opening set but the Norwegian lost nine of the next 10 games as Sinner gained control in most rallies.
The win puts Sinner in a favorable position for one of two remaining slots at next month’s ATP finals, leapfrogging Hubert Hurkacz and the injured Rafael Nadal into eighth place.
Tiafoe defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 7-6 (6), one day after upsetting top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas.
The 49th-ranked American squandered a 5-1 lead in the second set but broke Schwartzman when the Argentine served for the set at 6-5. Tiafoe saved a set point in the tiebreaker before converting his second match point.
Zverev defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to improve to 23-2 since losing to the Canadian in the fourth round of Wimbledon.