CHENNAI, India (AP) Benoit Paire of France reached the Chennai Open semifinals for a third time when he beat 2015 runner-up Aljaz Bedene of Britain 6-3, 6-0 on Friday.
He will face second-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, who rallied to win 2-6 6-4 6-4 against seventh-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in their first meeting. Both players dropped serve four times.
Paire may not relish facing the 14th-ranked Bautista Agut, considering that he has won their five previous meetings and has beaten Paire on grass, clay and hard courts.
Daniil Medvedev of Russia advanced to his first ATP semis after stopping Slovak qualifier Jozef Kovalik 6-1, 6-4. Kovalik ousted world No. 6 Marin Cilic on Wednesday in his first match against a top-10 player but couldn't reproduce that form.
Medvedev will next play Dudi Sela, the Israeli who reached his first ATP semis since July 2014 after downing third-seeded Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain 7-5, 6-4 in their first meeting.
