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With Vienna semi-finals Ivo returned to Top 20

Tsonga recorded his third two-set win in Vienna, while the Croat had more problems. He saved 1-5 in the second round against Dzumhur, while yesterday he saved a match-point against Khachanov

PBZ Zagreb Indoors

Tsonga

Tsonga won the last two head-to-heads against Ramos in very tight conditions. Considering the Spaniard's shape, it was a bit strange that the French won the first set so smoothly. At one point he was at 5-1 and held the serve. At that moment, Tsonga lost his first serve, but then he finished the job at the return. Still, the second set brought what we expected, a firmer match. Tsonga was the one "hanging by a thread". In the third and the fifth game he saved break-points, while he didn't earn a single one, but through the tie-break he earned the semi-finals.

Considering his weak game on the return, eight comebacks he did in three matches are very good numbers. But because of the weaker return, he's been having trouble with servers. Against Isner his record is 3-3, with Ivo 1-2, and Raonic 2-2.

Karlovic

The Croat did some nice tricks in Vienna. In the second round he made a comeback from 1-5 against Dzuhur, which rarely happens, especially indoors. But, the comeback against Khachanov was no less impressive. The Russian looked like the better player in the first two sets. He won the first set without an offered break-point, and in the second he had two, out of which one was a match-point and 5-3 in the tie-break. Still, Ivo made a comeback and entered the third set without an earned break-point. Mentally, that left a trace on the young Russian who lost the first game serve in the third set, and Karlovic held his ground until the end.

Ivo has a 3-1 record against Top 11-20 players this season. He himself managed to return to the Top 20 by earning Vienna's semi-finals.

The Croat is leading 2-1 in head-to-heads, and all three matches were ongrass. Out of 10 sets, seven went into a tie-break.