Opelka thundered down 18 aces in a serving masterclass against Bautista Agut, and didn’t face a single break point in an hour and 20 minutes of match play. The Spaniard upped his game in the second set, but Opelka eventually clinched the match in a one-sided tiebreak.
The World No. 32 has overcome some big names this week, including Nick Kyrgios and Grigor Dimitrov, to make the second Masters 1000 semifinal of his career. Not surprisingly, Reilly Opelka told the press on Friday that he thinks he’s playing at a “high level” at the moment.
When asked about facing World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals, Reilly Opelka claimed that playing against one of the best players in the world would be a good test for him. Opelka had named Tsitsipas’ forehand as the best in the world immediately after winning the quarterfinal match, and during his presser he further expressed his admiration for the shot.
“Isner and I joke about the term serve-bot” - Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka stands nearly seven feet tall, so it is not surprising that he is one of the biggest servers in the world. Fans and mediapersons often use the term “serve-bot” to refer to him, since his serve is usually the dominant feature of his game.
In that context, Opelka opened up on how he often jokes about the somewhat derogatory term with compatriot John Isner, who is also known for his huge serve. While admitting that he finds the term “pretty stupid”, Opelka asserted that he has a lot more in his game than just the serve. The American also claimed that both he and Isner have been able to use the term as a source of motivation.
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