Italy’s wildcard Marco Cecchinato will have to take French rising star Valentin Royer out of his way if he is to win on the ATP Challenger 75 for his first time appearance in Kigali. The former world No16 on ATP ranking went past Austrian Lukas Neumayer in three sets 6-3, 7-65, 7-5 in the quarterfinals on Thursday to set a semifinal date with Royer on Friday at the IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Courts in a battle that promises a mix of youthful energy and seasoned experience. ALSO READ: Rwanda Challenger: Two matches suspended over 'darkness' Royer, who is No3 seed in Rwanda Challenger, secured his spot in the last four after a grueling three-set victory over Romania’s Filip Jianu, winning 64-7, 7-64, 7-63. The 23-year-old displayed resilience, edging out his opponent in back-to-back tiebreakers to extend his impressive run in Kigali. Cecchinato, a former Roland Garros semifinalist known for his clay-court prowess and powerful backhands, is looking to leverage his experience to outlast Royer who is nine years younger. It will be an intriguing battle from Royer’s aggressive baseline game against Cecchinato’s tactical variety and court craft. The Frenchman has been steadily rising through the ranks, while Cecchinato, once ranked as high as No. 16 in the world, is aiming to reclaim his best form. The other semifinal will see Slovakia’s Andrej Martin take on Austria’s Maximilian Neuchrist, with both players coming off solid quarterfinal performances. Martin first beat Alex Marti Pujolras in the third set 6-3 of the round of 16 match which had been suspended on Wednesday due to darkness. The pair had won a set apiece 6-2, 5-7 before Tunisian umpire Nassim Belazri called it a day. Martin then stormed the semifinals after edging France’s Manuel Erhard in two straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in a quarterfinal match that closed the men’s singles quarterfinals. He will face Neuchrist who beat Dutchman Max Houkes 6-4, 5-7, 7-65 in a thrilling quarterfinal battle which ended in a tiebreak. With a spot in the Rwanda Challenger final at stake, all eyes will be on the IPRC Kigali Tennis Courts on Friday to see who prevails in the two highly anticipated ATP Challenger 75 affairs. Semifinal fixtures V. Royer Vs M. Cecchinato M. Neuchrist Vs M. Andrej
