Radek Stepanek, the world number 16 from the Czech Republic, earned himself a great chance of only the second Masters Series final of his career by reaching the last four in the Hamburg Masters.
Stepanek did that with a nicely balanced, if occasionally blemished, performance in a 7-6, 6-1 win over the net-rushing Belarussian Max Mirnyi, carrying him forward in a half with no other seeded players.
This is the first time in nine years that any of the nine Masters Series have had a quarter-final without a Masters Series winner in it, and Stepanek looked more than keen to take full advantage.
Once, when he made his first break of service, he showboated with a large leaps and hops across the court; on another occasion, when he had just clinched the first set, he high-stepped to his chair backwards. In the second set, when Stepanek had made a wrong-footing lob winner over his six-foot-seven-inch opponent, to give him three points for a 3-0 lead, he trotted ostentatiously up the court.
It may not have aided his popularity, but there was no doubting the skilful and elegant variety of his game. Stepanek had all the mixtures necessary to frustrate Mirnyi's charges forward - neat little rolls to the feet and smoothly disguised topspins past the outstretched volleying racket, all played with disguise and accuracy.
Stepanek showed moments of temperamental fragility however. He was unable to hang on to his break for 5-4, making two strange errors to allow Mirnyi to break back, and had moments of uncertainty in the tie-break too. These came after he had acquired a mini-break and a 3-0 lead, when he once again lapsed into a driving error and allowed Mirnyi to get his nose in front at 5-4.
But after Stepanek had hung on to his pair of service points to earn a set point at six points to five, Mirnyi succumbed the pressure by launching a serve-volley into the net.
That supplied Stepanek with an adrenalin charge and the confidence to make another break, and after that he was in control. Another break followed for 5-1, and this time when asked to serve out for it, Stepanek made no mistakes.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS (x denotes seed):
QUARTER-FINALS: Radek Stepanek (CZE x15) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
THURSDAY'S COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seed):
THIRD ROUND: Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x4) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN x13) 6-1, 6-3; Jose Acasuso (ARG) bt Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 7-5, 6-4; Tommy Robredo (ESP x8) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-3, 6-3; David Ferrer (ESP x16) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-2, 6-4; Radek Stepanek (CZE x15) bt Robin Soderling (SWE) 6-3, 6-2; Mario Ancic (CRO x12) bt James Blake (USA x5) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3); Max Mirnyi (BLR) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-3, 6-2.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS (x denotes seed):
QUARTER-FINALS: Radek Stepanek (CZE x15) bt Max Mirnyi (BLR) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
THURSDAY'S COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seed):
THIRD ROUND: Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x4) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN x13) 6-1, 6-3; Jose Acasuso (ARG) bt Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 7-5, 6-4; Tommy Robredo (ESP x8) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-3, 6-3; David Ferrer (ESP x16) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-2, 6-4; Radek Stepanek (CZE x15) bt Robin Soderling (SWE) 6-3, 6-2; Mario Ancic (CRO x12) bt James Blake (USA x5) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3); Max Mirnyi (BLR) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-3, 6-2.
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