Pablo Carreno Busta defeated Canada’s Denis Shapovalov in a roller-coaster of a five-setter to reach the US Open semi-finals early on Wednesday.
The 20th seed overcame his 12th-seeded opponent 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), 0-6, 6-3 in four hours and eight minutes inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Spaniard will play fifth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, who also progressed to the semis, for a place in Sunday’s final by beating Borna Coric in four sets.
The German overcame the 27th-seeded Croatian 1-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/1), 6-3 in 3 hours 25 minutes.
“I’m destroyed, but I’m very, very happy after this fight, this battle,” said Carreno Busta, who was a US Open semi-finalist in 2017.
He said it was “incredible” to be back in the last-four again after working “very, very hard” with his coach during the quarantine shutdown.
Carreno Busta admitted though that fortune was on his side at times in the match.
“I was a little bit lucky here,” the 29-year-old said.
Shapovalov was undone by ill-timed double faults and misplaced shots during key moments of the match.