Tournaments right in front of the four majors often have to struggle with at least two problems: On the one hand, with a few exceptions, the line-up is not exactly outstanding. Unless, like Novak Djokovic, you meet family obligations like this spring in Belgrade: The first in the world rankings basically only started to give the tournament, which his brother was director, more glamorous. Djokovic then approached the matter with the seriousness it deserved, and won the title just like immediately afterwards in Roland Garros.

Problem number two: The preparatory character is clearly in the foreground. So if a rock solid player like Pablo Carreno Busta is defeated in two sets against a much less solid player like Ilya Ivashka like on Thursday in Winston Salem, then it certainly has to do with the fact that the Spaniard already has the US Open in mind. Nothing against Ivashka: The man from Belarus has already beaten Alexander Zverev this year, it was in Munich.
Emil Ruusuvuori is now waiting for Ivashka in the semifinals. The Finn (he has already beaten Zverev in 2021 - in Miami) won against veteran Richard Gasquet 7: 6 (5) and 6: 1.

Local hero Frances Tiafoe has certainly tried to the utmost in Winston Salem. The American started well against Mikael Ymer from Sweden in front of full ranks, but then had to admit defeat 7: 6 (2), 2: 6 and 3: 6. For Ymer, completely new perspectives suddenly open up, in the semifinals there is a showdown with 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard prevailed 7: 6 (2) and 6: 2 against Marcos Giron in the last match of the quarter-finals. Alcaraz, who has already won Umag this year, had a few problems, especially at the beginning. After winning the first sentence, the teenager made short work of the really last remaining American.

Here the single tableau in Winston Salem