IT could not be more counter-contrasting at the two ATP 250 events in Germany and Italy, with all the predictable results advancing at Cologne on the hard courts, whilst the final seed remaining in Sardinia bowed out.

The top three seeds all advanced in Germany, with home nation hope, Alexander Zverev leading the way following the top seed’s momentum-swinging 6-4 3-6 6-0 victory over South African qualifier Lloyd Harris. Zverev was inconsistent at times but eventually stormed away with the win, notching up the victory in an hour and 46 minutes. He hit eight aces to five and won 69 per cent of his first serves to 59 per cent, breaking five times, three of which came in the one-sided final set.

“I have got to do a better job of keeping my focus until the end of a match. I relaxed a little bit and then he picked up his game,” Zverev said post-match.

“Playing on the ATP Tour, you only play great players. “Once you lose your focus, it doesn’t matter what your ranking is, it doesn’t matter how many titles you won, you have still got to play until the end otherwise it can go the other way very quickly.”

Zverev was far from alone in competing in three setters, now set to face the last remaining unseeded player at Cologne in Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The world number 71 knocked off Dennis Novak in the other quarter final for the top half of the draw, taking almost two hours to win 6-3 2-6 6-3.

Not a known big server, Davidovich Fokina only won the 57 and 35 per cent off his first and second serve points, but really hammered home off Novak’s second serve with a 70 per cent success rate to break eight times to seven in the match.

Meanwhile compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut had a similar experience to Zverev, having a couple of tight sets before storming to a 6-0 win in the decider. Bautista Agut defeated sixth seed Hubert Hurkacz 7-6 5-7 6-0 to win in two hours and 30 minutes and book his place in the Cologne semi-finals. He weathered 14 aces from Hurkacz and had only broken once in the first two sets, then broke his opponents three times in the final set to advance.

In the last quarter final, Felix Auger-Aliassime made his way through in no time, winning in the easiest match of the round to defeat Moldovan Radu Albot, 6-3 6-0. That match lasted 72 minutes as he hit four aces and won 71 and 63 per cent of his first and second serve points, also breaking five times to one and dominating in all facets of the game to set up a semi-finals meeting with Bautista Agut.

COLOGNE QUARTER FINALS RESULTS:

[1] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated [Q] Lloyd Harris (RSA) 6-4 3-6 6-0
[2] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) defeated [6] Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 7-6 5-7 6-0
[3] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) defeated Radu Albot (MOL) 6-3 6-0
Alexander Davidovich Fokina (ESP) defeated Dennis Novak (AUT) 6-3 2-6 6-3

Meanwhile in Italy, the semi-finals resemble something no one could have predicted with a couple of Italians and a couple of Serbians booking their spots in the final four.

Teenage future star, Lorenzo Musetti continued his run since the COVID-19 break with an 88-minute victory over German, Yannick Hanfmann to become the youngest ATP Tour semi-finalist since fellow 18-year-old Jannik Sinner 12 months ago. He won 67 per cent of his first serve points off a 63 per cent efficiency, whilst making the most of break point opportunities, capitalising on five of six chances compared to his opponents’ two of 11.

“It’s amazing,” Musetti said post-match. “Last week, I was playing in Parma and losing to Frances [Tiafoe], a great player. “I was thinking of coming here and trying to go as far as I could, but I am living my best moments in Sardinia. “I am playing my best tennis here.

“I was in trouble a little bit in the second set, as Yannick was returning so well. I had a great attitude in the second set, fighting for every point to win six games in a row. “I think my great weeks in Rome and Forli took me to this level of confidence to keep me at this playing level. I have learned more about how to manage match pressure and how to behave on the court.”

Now Musetti will head on to face the highest remaining player in the draw, in Serbian Laslo Djere. He is ranked 74th in the world, though is much better than his ranking might suggest, winning against Czech Jiri Vesely in straight sets, 6-4 6-4. The match lasted 83 minutes as he did not face a break point, and broke off both of his two chances, capitalising from Vesely’s low second serve percentage of 40 per cent.

Djere is the only top 100 player remaining in the draw with the 143rd ranked Musetti in alongside the 103rd ranked Marco Cecchinato and 166th ranked Danilo Petrovic in the other Sardinia semi-final. Wildcard Cecchinato defeated fourth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas in three sets, 4-6 6-1 6-1 to make his way through to the final four, while Petrovic knocked off Argentinian Federico Delbonis 7-6 6-1.

SARDINIA QUARTER FINALS RESULTS:

[WC] Marco Cecchinato (ITA) defeated [4] Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) 4-6 6-1 6-1
[LL] Danilo Petrovic (SRB) defeated Federico Delbonis (ARG) 7-6 6-1
[WC] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) defeated Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-2 6-4
Laslo Djere (SRB) defeated Jan Vesely (CZE) 6-4 6-4

Picture: Getty Images