Today’s semifinals at the Tiriac Open delivered tennis that will be talked about for a long time. Mariano Navone and Daniel Merida Aguilar booked their spots in the title match after incredible comebacks, saved match points, and grueling clay-court battles.
Navone Saves Two Match Points in Historic Marathon
In the first semifinal, seventh seed Mariano Navone defeated Botic Van De Zandschulp 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5. This gladiator match lasted an incredible 3 hours and 33 minutes. The Dutchman had everything in his hands, but Navone managed to save two match points late in the second set and completely shift the momentum in his favor.
Official statistics reveal the real reason for this outcome. Van De Zandschulp played extremely aggressively, recording 34 winners to Navone’s 22, but he paid for that aggression with a staggering 65 unforced errors. The Argentine was much steadier with 46 errors. Both players struggled to convert break points – Navone capitalized on 6 of 13, while the Dutchman converted 6 of 14 opportunities. In the end, the Argentine won a total of 128 points, just two more than his opponent (126).
- Match Duration: 3 hours and 33 minutes (Set 1: 58m, Set 2: 1h23m, Set 3: 1h12m).
- Winners / Unforced Errors: Navone (22 / 46), Van De Zandschulp (34 / 65).
- Total Points Won: Navone 128, Van De Zandschulp 126.
Merida Aguilar Saves 17 Break Points to Demolish Marozsan
The second semifinal brought a completely different kind of drama. Daniel Merida Aguilar eliminated third seed Fabian Marozsan following a brilliant comeback: 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1.
What makes this match exclusive is a stat rarely seen in professional tennis: Marozsan had a whopping 18 break points during the match, but the Spaniard saved an unbelievable 17 of them! The only break point the Hungarian managed to convert was just enough to win the first set, which lasted 69 minutes.
After dropping the first set, Merida Aguilar shifted into a higher gear and literally outclassed his opponent. The second and third sets lasted only 32 and 29 minutes, respectively. The Spaniard dominated with 77% of first serves in, registering 35 winners and 31 unforced errors. On the other hand, a completely frustrated Marozsan finished the match with more errors (39) than direct points (25).
- Match Duration: 2 hours and 10 minutes.
- Break Points Saved: Merida Aguilar defended an incredible 17 of 18 (94%).
- Winners / Unforced Errors: Merida Aguilar (35 / 31), Marozsan (25 / 39).
For all live scores, the complete draw, and the exact schedule of tomorrow’s grand finale, follow our main Tiriac Open 2026 HUB page.