Daniel Evans, the top seed, won a hard-fought match at the San Diego Open on Friday to go to his third semi-final of 2022.
The British player's 6-1, 6-3 victory over France's Constant Lestienne was much more difficult than the score indicates; throughout the one-hour, 40-minute match, Evans saved 10 of 11 break points.
He saved six of seven break points in set two, including three in a titanic last service game that lasted 14 points and was by far the longest of the match. He had already erased four break points in the first set. In the match, Evans was marginally more successful on his second serve than behind his initial offering, earning 63% (17/27) of second-serve points and 62% (21/34) on his first delivery.
Evans improved to 3-1 this season in tour-level quarterfinals and 3-0 against French opposition after hitting 23 winners in the match.
He will then play third-seeded Marcos Giron, who defeated seventh-seeded Australian James Duckworth 7-6(5), 6-3. The native of California, who recently lived briefly in San Diego, saved all three break points against him to advance to the semifinals. The four sets that Evans and Giron have played this week, both of them have won.