By Chris Oddo | Friday, February 20th, 2015

 

Sergiy Stakhovsky notched his third career top ten win with a clutch performance against Stan Wawrinka in Marseille.

Photo Source: Sky Sports

Four players were bidding to reach their first semifinal of the year in Marseille on Friday, but only one made it through. Sergiy Stakhovsky edged Stan Wawrinka in an enthralling encounter at the Palais des Sports in Marseille, notching a break in the final game of the match to upset the second seed, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

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The victory is the third top ten win for the serve-and-volleyer from the Ukraine, and his first top ten win away from Wimbledon.

Stakhovsky constantly rushed the net against Wawrinka, taking time away from the world No. 7’s revered one-handed backhand and keeping him off balance with a variety of quality volleys.

“You have to either play faster than him or at least try to play at his level,” an elated Stakhovsky said after reaching his sixth career semifinal.

Stakhovsky saved all three break points he faced in the first to make his early break hold up and take a one set to love lead over Wawrinka. Though the Swiss would fight back in the second, Stakhovsky stepped up his serving game in the decider. He did not face a break point and broke in the tenth game when a Wawrinka error sailed wide.

“We had a tactic to try to attack as much as I can because definitely I can’t keep up with Stan from the baseline,” Stakhovsky said.

For the second consecutive day in Marseille, a top ten player was upset by a player outside the top 50. On Thursday, Italian Simone Bolelli took out Milos Raonic for his first career top ten win in 36 tries.

Bolelli wasn’t so fortunate on Friday as he was taken out by Gael Monfils, 6-4, 6-4.

Monfils only dropped three first-serve points all match and saved the only break point he faced to set up a semifinal with Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.

Bautista Agut won the first quarterfinal of the day, 7-6(7), 6-3, over 21-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem.

In the final match of the day, Gilles Simon downed Jeremy Chardy in an all-French encounter, 7-5, 7-6(6).