Diego Schwartzman dropped just seven points on serve in his 6-4 6-2 win over Brandon Nakashima after 1 hour and 34 minutes to advance to his second semifinal of the season at the European Open in Antwerp. Schwartzman did not face a break point.
Schwartzman broke once in the ninth game of the first set and twice in the first and fifth games of the second set.
Schwartzman is chasing his second title in Antwerp. The Argentine player won two consecutive titles in Antwerp in 2016 and 2017 and the semifinals in 2019.
“For me, the stats are very important. I am not coming to the court thinking I am going to hit 10 aces. I have to do everything. I have to work, run and think for every single point. The opponent i going to play every shot and when I am going to hit ten aces and when I returning well, everything is better for me. It was tough, because we have never played before. He is a big player, very young. He has reached two finals already this season. He is improving a lot and will be tough to play in the future, so maybe better to play him now. Here in Antwerp I am always feeling good, so being back in the semifinals I am very happy. I really love the city and the people here, I have confidence on this court”, said Schwartzman.
Nakashima is currently eighth in the ATP Race to Milan and is chasing a spot in the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
Schwartzman set up a semifinal against US Next Gen player Jenson Brooksby, who edged past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-5 6-0 in 1 hour and 44 minutes. Brooksby advanced to his third tour-level semifinal of the season and becomes the fifth player to secure his spot in the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan from 9 to 13 November. Brooksby reached his first ATP Tour in Newport and the fourth round at the US Open. He climbed from outside the top 300 to a career-high of world number 70.
Brooksby converted his third break point in the fourth game to open up a 4-1 lead in the opening set. Davidovich Fokina broke straight bck in the ninth game to draw level to 5-5. Brooksky sealed the first set with a break on his second set point in the 12th game. Brooksby broke three times to take a bagel win.
“I have known about hopefully finishing with the Next Gen ATP Finals for a while now. With how I have been playing and getting better, I thought it would take care of itself. It is definitely exciting to confirm my spot. It will be a great tournament to finish the year, but I am shooting for more. It has been a good year. After not getting to play last year, I think I have made a lot of big strides this year. I am proud of the progress I have made mentally, physically and alla round”, said Brooksby.
