Fognini, Kohlschreiber advance to semis at Generali Open
KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) — Fabio Fognini and Philipp Kohlschreiber both reached their second semifinal in as many weeks at the Generali Open on Thursday.
Fognini, who won his fifth career title in Gstaad, Switzerland on Sunday, received medical treatment for a lower back injury early in the opening set but eased past Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-1. The Brazilian won just one of his eight service games.
The third-seeded Italian plays former champion Kohlschreiber for a place in Saturday’s final of the last clay court event of the season.
The German took the last five points of a third-set tiebreaker to outlast Dusan Lajovic of Serbia 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Last week, Kohlschreiber pulled out of his semifinal in Hamburg with a thigh injury.
Also, 157th-ranked Sebastian Ofner of Austria reached his maiden semifinal by defeating Renzo Olivo of Argentina 6-3, 1-6, 6-3. The wild card entrant will next play Joao Sousa of Portugal, who rallied to beat Gerald Melzer of Austria 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in a match interrupted by rain.
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