Etcheverry forfeits, Moutet takes advantage: the Frenchman reaches the semifinals in Hangzhou

Corentin Moutet benefited from Tomas Martin Etcheverry's withdrawal to qualify for the semifinals in Hangzhou. The Argentine, despite being dominant at the beginning, couldn’t cope physically.

In the first quarterfinal of the day at the ATP 250 tournament in Hangzhou, Corentin Moutet and Tomas Martin Etcheverry were competing for a spot in the semifinals. The Frenchman had never defeated the Argentine before, losing in Rio de Janeiro and Monte-Carlo this season against him. This time, the clash occurred on hard court.

Moutet, who saved two match points in the previous round against Arthur Cazaux, was looking to start off well to gain the upper hand, but it was the world No. 63 who made the difference at the start of the match.

With a break in the middle of the set, the Argentine closed out the first set, bringing him closer to qualifying for the last four. However, Etcheverry completely broke down physically.

Unable to serve properly at the beginning of the second set, he was forced to retire while his opponent had already secured a double break (3-6, 3-0 ret.). This situation benefited world No. 39 Moutet, who qualified for the semifinals.

The 26-year-old player, who has never won an ATP tour title, is now only two victories away from the trophy. He might face another French player, Valentin Royer, in the final. Royer, who defeated Andrey Rublev in the previous round, will be the next to take to the court, hoping to confirm his success from the previous round against Learner Tien.