Top seed Nicolas Almagro will take on Albert Ramos in the semi-finals of the ATP Sao Paulo Open

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Defending champion Nicolas Almagro continued his winning streak in Sao Paulo by beating fifth seed Carlos Berloq in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Berlocq is playing the best tennis of his career at the moment, so the Spaniard should be pleased to have gotten him out of the way with minimal fuss. Next up for Almagro will be a semi-final matchup against his compatriot, Albert Ramos.

Ramos, the eighth seed, managed to defy fellow countryman Fernando Verdasco, 7-6(5), 6-3. This will be Ramos’s first ever ATP semi-final, and the Spaniard finds himself edging ever closer to the top fifty. On paper it doesn’t seem like he’s ready to take on the world No. 11, but after claiming the scalp of Verdasco, perhaps Ramos should be considered as a serious challenger here.

There’s good reason to believe that Ramos might be able to cause another upset on Saturday. He took on Almagro last season in Kuala Lumpur, and was beaten by a very tight margin (7-6(2), 7-6(4)). Still, on clay, it’s hard to see anything other than an Almagro victory.