Kristian Pless tried to dig up every solution in the journeyman’s book as he clawed his way back into his quarter-final match against Great Britain’s Alex Bogdanovic. In the end, it was the ability to up the tennis levels that took him to the semi-finals.

The sheer strength of the left-handed Bogdanovic’s backhand seemed too much to handle for the Dane and a backhand error gifted Bogdanovic the first break in the fourth game. Pless was broken again as he served to stay in the set, a forehand going wide.

The second set allowed him another chance, though. A backhand winner set up break point on the Briton’s serve in the ninth game, and he wrapped it up with a passing shot.

Broken immediately after, he again took Bogdanovic’s serve in the eleventh game, and this time, finished it. He started with breaking Bogdanovic’s serve in the decider’s first game. Despite an exchange of breaks, Pless snapped it 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Top seed Yen Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei defeated Australian Colin Ebelthite 6-1, 6-4, and will play Japan’s Go Soeda. American Brendan Evans moved ahead with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Samuel Groth.