"I want to dedicate the victory to my grandmother, who died five days ago... this week I played for her and the victory is hers" - Arthur Rinderknech after stunning home bet Pablo Carreño Busta in Gijon Open QF
Arthur Rinderknech pulled off a stunning victory in the Gijon Open, erasing nine match points to eliminate local favorite Pablo Carreño Busta, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(16).
The World No. 56 needed six match points of his own to thwart the second-seeded Carreño Busta in three hours and seven minutes. The Frenchman looked inward and dedicated the win to his grandmother, who recently passed away.
"First of all, I want to dedicate the victory to my grandmother, who died five days ago, and I couldn't be there with her in France. So this week, I played for her and the victory is hers," said Arthur Rinderknech in an article on Punto de Break.
After losing the first set without any break point opportunities on Carreño Busta's serve, the Spaniard finally managed to convert and secure a break of serve in the second. The Frenchman said that after a poor opening set, he willed himself to overcome his bad form through the memory of his grandmother.
“The first set was bad for me, I suffered with my serves and he looked comfortable. When the second started, I thought of my grandmother and I don't really know how I overcame it. It was a very tough match, although I was finally able to take the victory," said Arthur Rinderknech.
The third set was a tight battle, with neither player converting each of their two break point opportunities. Rinderknech fended off two match points at 4-5 in the third and went on to save another seven in the 31-minute tiebreak on his way to sealing his first career win against the Spaniard on his sixth match point.
Carreno-Busta elaborated on the "tough loss," stating that tennis is "cruel sometimes" but added that he enjoyed playing in front of home fans who cheered for him.
“Tennis is cruel sometimes," said Pablo Carreño Busta in an article on the Gijon Open website. "It was a tough loss, but I'll have the beautiful of memory of playing at home, in front of a crowd that was always cheering me on. There were many moments that I thoroughly enjoyed."
Arthur Rinderknech will take on Sebastian Korda in Gijon Open SF
After securing his spot in the last four following a thrilling quarterfinal match, Arthur Rinderknech will take on Sebastian Korda in the semifinals of the Gijon Open on Saturday.
The 22-year-old American is coming off a sweet win of his own as he beat former World No. 1 Andy Murray, 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.
Korda is aiming to boost his chances for a second career title and first of the year against Rinderknech, who will hope to secure a place in the final and win his maiden title on the ATP tour