Ramanathan, Smyczek advance to ATP Newport semi-finals

Saturday's semi-finals will be staged around the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Czech Helena Sukova and Germany's Michael Stich

India's Ramkumar Ramanathan and American Tim Smyczek, each hoping to reach his first ATP singles final, advanced to the semi-finals of the Hall of Fame Open grasscourt tournament Thursday. Ramanathan surrendered only seven points on his first serve over 78 minutes in defeating Canada's Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-2 and Smyczek held off Taiwan's Jason Jung 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 in quarter-final matches at Newport, Rhode Island. World number 123 Smyczek, 30, has never played 161st-ranked Ramanathan, but their triumphs ensure one of them will reach his first ATP singles championship match on Sunday.

Friday's quarter-finals send US third seed Steve Johnson against Israel's 156th-ranked Dudi Sela and 124th-ranked Spaniard Marcel Granollers against French top seed Adrian Mannarino. Ramanathan, a 23-year-old from Chennai, was 1-2 this year in ATP events until this week, when he ousted Dominican Victor Burgos 6-4, 6-1 in his opener and dispatched US eighth seed Denis Kudla 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round. Saturday's semi-finals will be staged around the International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Czech Helena Sukova and Germany's Michael Stich.

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