Etcheverry sees off Norrie to head into Barcelona Open semis

Etcheverry, ranked 30 in the world, one place higher Norrie, edged a tight match 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).

Tomas Martin Etcheverry in action. | Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry booked his place in the semifinals of the Barcelona Open with a hard-fought straight sets win over Britain’s Cameron Norrie on Friday.

Etcheverry, ranked 30 in the world, one place higher Norrie, edged a tight match 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/1).

The first set produced a break each before Etcheverry held the upper hand in the tiebreak.

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The second set went with serve all the way to the tiebreak which Etcheverry, a semifinalists in Houston at the start of the month, won comfortably.

“I spoke to my coach last night and also my team, that I have to play aggressively to win this match,” the 24-year-old Etcheverry said.

“The tie-break was key. I played really good in that part of the match.”

Norrie had won their only previous contest, also on clay, in Buenos Aires last year.

Etcheverry will face third seed Casper Ruud, who beat Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals.

Ruud got the better of Martin Etcheverry in their only previous meeting last year, when he had to rally from a set down in Beijing .“It is going to be another difficult match,” Ruud said.