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By Alberto Amalfi | Friday, July 28, 2017

 
Federico Delbonis

Federico Delbonis defused Karen Khachanov, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, and will face Davis Cup teammate Leonardo Mayer in an all-Argentine Hamburg semifinal.

Photo credit: German Open Tennis Championships am Hamburger Rothenbaum

Davis Cup teammates Federerico Delbonis and Leonardo Mayer will square off for a place in the Hamburg final tomorrow.

Left-handed qualifier Delbonis defused explosive Russian Karen Khachanov 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, and will face teammate Mayer in an all-Argentine Hamburg semifinal eight months after the pair helped lead Argentina to its first Davis Cup championship in history.

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Mayer, the 2014 tournament champion, subdued Czech left-hander Jiri Vesely, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Delbonis won 13 of 15 points played on his first serve in the final set when he converted two of seven break points.



“I know that Karen has big strokes from the baseline, but I can do my job to keep him back in the court and to try to open it a bit and get more aggressive in the third ball,” Delbonis said. “That was the key of the match, I think.”

Philipp Kohlschreiber thrilled home fans and denied a third Argentine entry into the final four edging Nicolas Kicker, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-4 in a tense two-hour, 37-minute test.

It is Kohlschreiber's second trip to the Hamburg semifinals.

The 58th-ranked German will face either compatriot Florian Mayer or Argentine Diego Schwartzman in the semifinals.



Four of Delbonis’ last six tournaments have been Challengers as he tries to raise his ranking of No. 81.

Hamburg has been a launching pad for Delbonis in the past.

In 2013, Delbonis stunned Roger Federer en route to the Hamburg final where he fell to Fabio Fognini in his first career ATP final.


 

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