Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner advance to semifinals at Croatia Open

Italy's Jannik Sinner reacts during his 3rd round match against Russia's Andrey Rublev || Panoramic

Second seed Jannik Sinner defeated qualifier Franco Agamenone six-1, half-dozen-iii to accelerate to the terminal of the Croatia Open at the ITC Stella Maris in Umag on Sat evening.

Sinner, ranked No ten, will play Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed, next.

The pair volition run into for the second time this month and the third fourth dimension overall, after Sinner dispatched the 136th-ranked qualifier in one hour and 26 minutes, backside a ascendant render game.

The xx-year-one-time Italian won 17 of 24 2nd-serve render points and bankrupt serve 5 times on nine opportunities to attain his first terminal of 2022, as he improved to 34-nine on the season.

"I wanted to play well particularly in the important moments and offset of the sets," said Sinner, who reaches his 7th career final. "So I'm very happy to exist in the final."

The 3rd meeting of a budding rivalry

Sinner and Alcaraz will come across for the third fourth dimension in less than a year and their showtime time on clay on Lord's day. It will be the third meeting of the peak two seeds in Umag history, which dates to 1990.

In the Wimbledon circular of sixteen Sinner defeated Alcaraz in four sets in one of the well-nigh compelling matches of the tournament (six-1, 6-four 6-7⁽⁸⁾ half-dozen-3).

"I'm going to try to be one of the best lawn tennis thespian in the globe for many years," Alcaraz said later on the loss to Sinner at SW19. "Patently Jannik is i of the best tennis player in the world equally well. For certain he's going to exist in the top for many years.

"I hope to have good rivalry with him. Nosotros hope to fight for the best tournaments in the world and the best moment in the earth together."

Alcaraz beat Sinner in their first meeting, at the Paris Masters last year (7-half dozen(i), seven-5).

The Spaniard will bid for his fifth title of 2022, and his sixth overall, while Sinner will bid for his first of the season and sixth overall.

Jannik Sinner won against Spaniard Jaume Munar (6-4, 6-four) and Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena (vi-4, 7-vi (v)) in the previous rounds of the Umag.

Before in the tournament, Agamenone, ranked No 136, won confronting Serb Laslo Djere (7-6 (8), 2-six, vii-5), Argentinian Sebastian Baez, the No four seed (iii-6, 6-one, seven-5) and qualifier Marco Cecchinato (half dozen-2, 6-1).

Umag ATP 250, other semi-final result (ITC Stella Maris, dirt, EUR 597.900):