Tennis: Marius Copil advances to semifinals of Sofia's ATP tournament

Romanian tennis player Marius Copil qualified on Friday for the semifinals of the ATP tournament in Sofia, featuring overall prizes of 501,345 euro, after defeating Luxembourg Gilles Muller, third seed, 6-4, 6-4. 

Copil (aged 27, ATP's 93) prevailed in one hour and 20 minutes over a 34-year old adversary, 28th in the world ranking. This is the first semifinal in an ATP tournament of the player from Arad. 

Marius Copil succeeded 13 aces in this match, against Muller's 6, who also made 2 double faults, one less than the Romanian player. Copil had very good services and only allowed Muller to create one break opportunity, which the Romanian saved. 

Muller has 2-1 in the direct matches against Copil, whom he had previously defeated in 2010 in the round of sixteen of the challenger tournament in Eckental (Germany), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), and in 2015, in the quarterfinals in Hertogenbosch (the Netherlands), 7-6 (4), 6-1. Copil's only victory was recorded in 2013, in the challenger tournament of Quimper (France), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, in the round of sixteen. 

Copil ensured a 25,515 euro cheque and 90 ATP points, and is due to face off in the penultimate match the winner between Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and Slovakian Jozef Kovalik.

AGERPRES