Ukrainian tennis player Vitaliy Sachko has reached the semi-finals of the ATP tournament in Metz. In the quarter-finals, he overcame Frenchman Clément Tabur.
Before facing Tabur, Sachko achieved the biggest victory of his career, defeating world number 13 Alexander Bublik in a three-set match. This made him the first player in over six and a half years to reach the quarter-finals at ATP 250 tournaments and above.
In the quarter-finals, Sachko faced Frenchman Clément Tabur, ranked 243rd in the world. Tabur had previously defeated Sachko in the qualifications for this tournament, but Sachko entered the main draw as a "lucky loser".
Sachko managed to take revenge on Tabur for his earlier defeat. The players exchanged wins in the first two sets, with Sachko winning the first, while Tabur took the second.
Key moments in the deciding set included break points saved by Sachko. In the very first game on his serve, the Ukrainian saved four break points from Tabur, followed by saving another one in the next two games he served. In the 10th game, Sachko earned match points and won the match on his second attempt.
ATP. Metz, Quarter-Final. Clément Tabur (France, Q) — Vitaliy Sachko (Ukraine, LL) 1:2 (4:6, 6:3, 4:6)
Sachko is the first Ukrainian player in over 8 years to reach the semi-finals of an ATP 250 event. The last time this happened was with former first racket of Ukraine Alexander Dolgopolov in September 2017, when he reached the final in Shenzhen, ultimately losing to Belgian David Goffin.
For Sachko, this is his fourth semi-final in 2025 (he previously had three at the challenger level). He reached two finals but lost in both Barletta and Monza.
In the semi-finals, Sachko will face American Lerner Tien, the world number 38. The match will take place on Friday, November 7.