Fourth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem won a battle of rising ATP stars on Thursday, downing Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the Mexico Open.

Thiem, 22 and ranked a career-high 15th in the world after lifting the trophy in Buenos Aires a fortnight ago and reaching the semifinals at Rio de Janeiro last week, broke Bulgaria's Dimitrov in the opening game of the second set, and broke again for a 5-2 lead before serving out the win in one hour and 38 minutes.

"Breaking him in the first game of the second set was maybe the deciding moment of this match," Thiem said.

"I started to play better and better and the momentum swung to my side," he said.

Thiem will play American Sam Querrey for a place in the final. Querrey defeated 18-year-old compatriot Taylor Fritz 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Friday's other semifinal will pit fifth-seeded Australian against Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Source: AFP