"Hard work always pays off," Bautista Agut relishes after reaching Queen's semifinals
Roberto Bautista Agut is still going strong. The 37-year-old Spaniard has secured a spot in the semifinals of the ATP 500 tournament at Queen's. After victories against Nuno Borges and Jakub Mensik, the former world No. 9 confirmed his form by defeating Holger Rune (7-6, 6-7, 6-2).
For a place in the final, he will face his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz and attempt to pull off a feat to reach his first ATP Tour final since Antwerp last year (which he won against Jiri Lehecka).
"A year ago, I was unlucky and fractured my fibula. I dropped to world No. 120. I’m happy with my performance since the start of the year.
I believe I’ve worked hard to achieve better results, and they didn’t come immediately. Fortunately, hard work always pays off, and this week, I’ve experienced that.
To beat Carlos (Alcaraz), you have to be aggressive and put a lot of pressure on him from the return. He’s a phenomenon, but the first thing I want to do is enjoy tomorrow’s match, and I hope to challenge him and make things difficult for him.
My dream was to be a professional tennis player. I didn’t have the luck of reaching the top at 20 like Carlos, but to win all the titles I’ve won, I know I’ve had to dedicate a huge part of my life to this sport," Bautista Agut told Spanish outlet AS.
Queen's 
