In the quarterfinal stage of the men’s singles tournament in Lexington, E. Butvilas, after a 2 hour and 43 minute battle, defeated Japan’s Rei Sakamoto (ATP-165) with a score of 7:6(5), 3:6, 7:5, who is a former top junior player.
The 20-year-old Japanese player was the first to convert a break point in the third set and led 3:2, but the Lithuanian equalized in the next game and delivered the decisive shot to the younger opponent in the 12th game.
E. Butvilas came to the Lexington tournament with a seven-match losing streak, but now has won his third consecutive victory and continues his march towards his third career Challenger title.
Reaching the semifinals guaranteed the 22-year-old from Klaipėda a prize of 5510 US dollars and 22 ATP ranking points, which will allow the young player to return to the Top 250.
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In the semifinal stage on Saturday, E. Butvilas will face the second seed of the tournament – the experienced Serbian tennis specialist Dušan Lajović (ATP-149).
The 36-year-old veteran is a former world No. 23, having defeated opponents such as Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, and Juan Martin Del Potro in the past.
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