NICE, France (AP) Alexander Zverev saved two match points to beat second-seeded Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1) and book a spot in the semifinals of the Nice Open on Thursday.
Zverev led 6-4 in the tiebreak of the second set, but Simon managed to stay in contention and had two chances to seal the match on the German's serve at 6-5 in the decider.
He could not seize them and Zverev secured a third win over his French rival this year.
''Playing against Gilles is always tough, especially on this surface,'' said Zverev, who fended off eight of the 10 break points he faced.
Zverev will next play Joao Sousa of Portugal.
The other semifinal pits top-seeded Dominic Thiem against Adrian Mannarino. The 15th-ranked Thiem is chasing a sixth career title.