In the quarterfinals top seeded and 65th ranked Lukas Lacko played merciless tennis to dispose off Israel’s giant killer Amir Weintraub 6-2, 6-4 in just over an hour . Fifth seed and former world top 30 player Ivan Dodig upset third seeded Israeli Dudi Sela 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 5 minutes.

In the lower half Czech player Jan Mertl currently 190 scored a 6-4, 6-4 win over higher placed and 142 ranked Dusan Lajovic in 1 hour and 33 minutes. In the best match of the day, 182 ranked Uladzimir Ignatik of Belarus ended the local challenge edging past wildcard entrant and local star Farrukh Dustov 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(2) in a 2 hour 45 minute in a hard serving match.

In the lone upset of the day former top 30 player Ivan Dodig making a comeback after a back injury suffered in the first half of the year upset the higher ranked Dudi Sela of Israel 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in just over 2 hours, in the first set Dodig got the decisive break in the 10th game as Sela served out a double fault to win the set 6- 4.

In the second set Sela who has special liking for the event made a comeback breaking the hard serving Dodig in just the first game and then served consistently to hold on and win the set 6-4 and force a third set.

In the deciding set Dodig broke Sela at love in the second game raising the speed and then hammered as many as 6 aces on his serves to hold on win the set 6-3 and make it to the last four.

Dodig will take on top seeded Lukas Lacko of Slovakia who scored a straight set win over another Israeli Amir Weintraub 6-2, 6-4. Lacko, who won 84 % points on his first serve , broke Amir in the 1st and 7th games in the first set and in the seventh game in the second set to make a place in the semifinal. Lacko served 10 aces in the match to just one by Amir.

Czech Jan Mertl who is enjoying a splendid run in the event, scored a 6-4,6-4 win over Dusan Lajovic of Serbia ranked 50 places above him. The tall and lanky Czech played percentage tennis to break Lajovic in the 5th game in the 1st set and 5th game in the second set.

However, it was the match of day between Belarusian Uladzimir Ignatik and Uzbek star Farrukh Dustov which had a good crowd on the edge of the seats. Dustov who is known to start slow was broken in the 9th game and lost the set 6-4.

In the second, Dustov seemed to have settled down serving well, but survived some anxious moments on his serve coming from break points in the 7th and 9th and 11th games to hold on to his serve and go up 6-5, Dustov backed by the crowds hit two cross court winners and a finished a high volley to break Ignatik in the 12th game and win the set and level set scores

In the third set, Dustov started poorly losing the very first game after serving a double fault. Dustov hanged on and broke Ignatik back in a tenacious 10th game after some high class rallies and leveled scores at 5-5. Dustov held the 11th game to go up 6-5, in the 12 game Dustov looked like going for the kill coming back from being 0-40 down to make it deuce. Bust some sensible serving from Ignatik helped him hold on to his serve and force the tiebreak.

Ignatik just increased his pace and forced the tired looking local star in committing errors racing to a 6-0 lead in the tiebreak, and a brilliant serve saw his clinch his hands in the air making it to the semifinals.

Men’s singles (Quarterfinals)

Lukas Lacko(SVK)[1] bt Amir Weintraub(ISR) 6-2,6-4
Ivan Dodig(CRO)[5] bt Dudi Sela(ISR)[3] 6-4,4-6,6-3
Jan Mertl(CZE) d Dusan Lajovic(SRB) 6-4,6-4
Uladzimir Ignatik(BLR) d [WC]Farrukh Dustov (UZB) 6-4,5-7,7-6(2)

Men’s doubles ( Semifinals)

Rameez Junaid(AUS)-Frank Moser(GER)/Mikhail Elgin(RUS)-Igor Zelenay(SVK)[2]