Ebden and de Minaur meet in Surbiton semis

The final of the Surbiton Trophy Challenger Tour event will feature an Australian with Matt Ebden and Alex de Minaur to face off in one of the semi-finals.

Alex de Minaur.

Alex de Minaur faces Davis Cup teammate Matt Ebden for the first time in the Surbiton Trophy semis. (AAP)

The final of the Surbiton Trophy grass-court Challenger Tour event in London will feature an Australian after Matthew Ebden and teenager Alex de Minaur set up a semi-final clash.

De Minaur, 19, beat Australian slayer Yuki Bhambri from India - who knocked out Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alex Bolt earlier this week - 6-3 7-5 on Friday in southwest London.

The confident display catapulted the Sydneysider into the world top 100 for the first time in his career.

It continues his steady progress in what has been a breakout season that began with a march to the semi-finals and final at the Brisbane and Sydney internationals respectively in January.

World No 73 Ebden, who won this tournament in 2015, eased through his quarter-final against veteran Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 6-4 to set up a first meeting between the Davis Cup teammates.

"Obviously we are familiar as we played Davis Cup together earlier this year and actually practised together last week at the French Open," Ebden told AAP.

"We know each other well. He had a great January, he would have hoped to do a bit better since then, but he is young and still getting it all together.

"He's getting some wins on the grass and it will be a tough match."

De Minaur, who was watched by Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt from the sidelines, was equally impressive against the Indian world No.93, sending down seven aces.

The youngster, who was edged out by world No.3 Alex Zverev in a five-set thriller in the Davis Cup defeat to Germany earlier this year, said he feels comfortable on the grass court.

"I think it suits my game well and I am serving strongly at the moment and hopefully that can continue," de Minaur said.

"Each match I feel I have played better and hopefully I can keep progressing."

In the other semi-final, top-seeded Frenchman Jeremy Chardy will play former British No.2 Dan Evans, who is making his way back after a 12-month ban for testing positive to cocaine.

In the women's draw, 20-year-old Queenslander Priscilla Hon booked her spot in Saturday's final against American second seed Alison Riske with a 4-6 6-2 6-3 win over Britain's Katie Boulter.


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Source: AAP



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