Carreno Busta Beats Schwartzman, Reaches First Major Semifinal

September 5, 2017 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff

Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta advanced to the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career on Tuesday, ending the improbable run of Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. 

“It was a very good, very special match for me,” the Spaniard said. “I’m very excited to be in the semifinals. I think that it was a very good opportunity to do it, to be in semifinals, and I just try to make my best.

I played very solid from the baseline, trying to not make mistakes. In the important moments, maybe my serve was the difference.”

A nervy opening service game from Schwartzman gifted Carreno Busta an early break, and another break gave him a 5-2 lead and a chance to serve out the set. Schwartzman would break back, but couldn’t get the second one back, as Carreno Busta took the opener 6-4.

After the two exchanged breaks in the second set, Schwartzman had three break points at in the 4-3 game, but could not convert on any of them. Carreno Busta came back to hold and used that momentum to break in the following game to build the 5-4 lead. He consolidated it with a hold to win the set and seize control of the match.

“I think sometimes those kinds of games change the match,” Schwartzman said of those break points he let slip away in the seventh game. “Three break points I had in that game; close break points. I think he played really well in two of those break points, and then I did one forehand mistake. Tough to understand, but then I think Pablo just played better than me.”

Carreno Busta would save three break points in the final set and never gave the Argentine a window to get himself back into the match, closing out the straight-sets victory in just under two hours.

In the semifinals, Carreno Busta will play the winner of American Sam Querrey and Kevin Anderson of South Africa, who play their quarterfinal match on Tuesday night. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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