Adrian Mannarino feels at home on the grass of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Winner of the tournament in 2019 (the only title of his career), the Frenchman qualified for the semi-finals of the 2022 edition on Friday by dominating in three sets Brandon Nakashima (64th in the world) 6-7 (5), 6 -1, 6-4. The event having been canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, “Manna” therefore remains on eight successes in a row in this rural corner of the Netherlands.
To tell the truth, the Frenchman (now 70th at the ATP) could have saved himself a match in three sets. He wasted a 5-2 lead in the first set tie-break. Frustrated by his mistakes, he even violently threw his racket to the ground and received a warning. Nakashima grabbed the last five points of the set.
Mannarino’s greatest merit then was not to let his guard down and regain his composure. He was rewarded with a break in the second game of the second set. His superiority, in service (12 aces) but also from the baseline, became more and more evident. Despite a redacted match point at 5-3 in the last act, he concluded the game in his hand. In the semi-final (his first since Mallorca, in 2021, already on grass), “Manna” will face Daniil Medvedev or Ilya Ivashka on Saturday.
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