The biggest match of the day saw Michael Berrer beaten by qualifier Gregoire Barrere 6-3, 6-4. Berrer has played a lot of fiercely competitive matches in the last few days, notably against Alexander Zverev and Nils Langer, and it appeared that those matches took their toll on the German veteran, and the young Frenchman took full advantage. Barrere will now appear in his first ever Challenger semi-final.
Hiroki Moriya took full advantage of the departure of seeds in Bergamo, as he beat veteran Marco Chiudinelli 6-4, 6-4 in to reach the semi-finals in Bergamo.
One somewhat familiar name also emerged. Though unseeded, Pierre-Hugues Herbert will be familiar to many as a man who once took a set off a dominant Novak Djokovic. Herbert managed to edge Peter Gojowczyk in a serving barrage that featured seventeen aces for the German and twenty-five for the victorious Frenchman. Herbert dropped the first set courtesy of six double-faults, but hit just three more in the next two sets winning both on tiebreaks in an eventual 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 score. Herbert also came down from mini break early in the final set tiebreak and sealed the victory with an ace on his second match point after he had double-faulted on the first.
Egor Gerasimov was the other winner on Friday, as he beat Aldin Setkic 6-4, 6-4.
Semi-finals Picks:
Egor Gerasimov vs Gregoire Barrere: Barrere has done superbly, but did benefit from playing an exhausted Michael Berrer in the last round. Gerasimov has not dropped a set all week, defeating a seed and a former Top 100 player in the process. I cannot see Barrere winning this one. Winner: Gerasimov in straight sets.
Hikori Moriya vs Pierre-Hugues Herbet: Herbet must be the unofficial favourite for the title now that all the seeds have been beaten. The Frenchman has experience at a level higher than most of the other players have ever experienced and for that reason he’ll win here too. Winner: Herbert in straight sets.
