Yuki Bhambri set to enter top-100 after making semis in Tashkent

Tashkent: Yuki Bhambri is set to break into top-100 after clinching a semifinal berth at the ATP Tashkent Challenger by winning both his matches, here today.

Since rain had washed out all singles matches yesterday, Yuki first played his second round against Croatia's Nikola Mektic, winning the contest 6-3 1-6 6-1 and then took field to beat Czech Republic's Jan Satral 6-3 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

The 23-year-old Delhi boy, ranked 105, will be the first Indian player since 2010 to enter the top-100 when the new rankings will be issued on Monday. He will be only third Indian player in a decade-and-half to be in the list.

Somdev Devvraman, whose ranking is dipping fast these days, was the last Indian player to crack top-100 in August 2010. Before Somdev, Leander Paes featured inside top-100.

With his stupendous effort, Yuki has assured himself 45 ATP ranking points which will catapult him to coveted top-100 bracket.

If he wins one more match it will be a hat-trick of finals on the ATP Challenger tour for Yuki, who had won the Shanghai Challenger before Davis Cup tie against Czech Republic and ended runner-up in Taiwan after the tie.

"I played well on the important points and got all of them. I was confident and moving well. The Tashkent Challenger is one of the toughest challenger and I am truly happy to have made the last four for the first time along with some big names," Yuki said.

In his quarterfinal, Yuki broke 25-year-old Satral in the third game ands sealed the first set quickly. In the second set Yuki was broken in the second game but he broke back immediately and again Satral in the fifth to go up 3-2.

The wily Indian held on to his serve in the sixth, eighth and the 10th rather comfortably and progressed to the next round.