Raducanu, Shelton, Moutet, and Fernandez advance to Washington SF

Washington, July 26 (IANS) A thrilling day of action at the Mubadala Citi DC Open saw four players book their spots in the semifinals across both the ATP and WTA draws, with comeback stories and marquee performances unfolding in the sweltering Washington heat.

Emma Raducanu continued her impressive return to form, reaching her first WTA hardcourt semifinal in three years. The Brit held off Maria Sakkari in a taxing two-hour, 10 minute battle, winning 6-4, 7-5 despite falling behind early. The result marked her best performance in the U.S. capital, and extended her flawless record against Sakkari to 4-0. Raducanu will now face Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya, who upset Clara Tauson to reach the last four.

On the men’s side, Ben Shelton delivered a high-octane performance to end Frances Tiafoe’s run. In front of an energized home crowd, Shelton’s aggressive forehands and fearless serving powered him to a 7-6(2), 6-4 win. The 22-year-old lefty matched his 2023 semifinal showing in Washington and continues to rise, already securing a new career-high ranking of No. 7. He awaits the winner of Taylor Fritz and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals.

Another surprise came in the form of Frenchman Corentin Moutet, who stunned World No. 14 Daniil Medvedev in a dramatic 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win. After a mid-match weather suspension, Moutet returned from a lightning delay to break Medvedev’s serve and close out the match. It marked the 26-year-old’s first ATP semifinal above 250-level and his fourth career win over a Top 20 opponent on hard courts.

On the WTA side, Canada’s Leylah Fernandez continued her strong run, defeating Taylor Townsend 6-4, 7-6(4). Fernandez overcame a second-set deficit and saved a set point to reach her biggest hard-court semifinal since finishing runner-up at the 2021 US Open. She now faces third seed Elena Rybakina, who eased past Magdalena Frech in straight sets.

With big names falling and breakthrough performances emerging, the stage is set for a thrilling semifinal in Washington.

--IANS

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