The magical run at the Odlum Brown VanOpen continues for Keegan Rice.

Backed by a raucous crowd at Hollyburn Country Club on Thursday, the 20-year-old Canadian wild card engineered a gritty third-set comeback to defeat American Daniel Milavsky and advance to his first career ATP Challenger semifinal.

In a gruelling quarterfinal defined by razor-thin margins, Rice edged Milavsky to seal the victory 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(4). “I’m super excited to be into the semifinals,” Rice said after receiving a standing ovation from the packed Centre Court. “It was a great match, a great atmosphere, and a real three-set tiebreaker battle.”

Trailing by a break in the third set, the Regina, Saskatchewan native leaned on the local support to dig himself out of trouble. Rice was clinical when it mattered most, converting four of his five break point opportunities throughout the match, while fending off half of the break points he faced on his own serve.

“I just kept competing no matter what,” Rice explained. “When down a break, I knew I would have my chances, and if I give myself a chance on every single point, anything can happen.”

The University of Virginia standout, who entered the tournament aiming to build on a summer that included a run to his first ITF World Tennis Tour singles final in Laval, Quebec, credited the Vancouver audience for pushing him across the finish line.

“Just getting so much energy from the crowd – whether it’s for me or whoever I’m playing against – really refocuses my mind on the competition,” Rice noted. “I’m really excited to test my level in the semis and hopefully move on after tomorrow.”

Now, the former top 40 ITF junior looks ahead to Friday’s semifinal, eager to keep his momentum rolling on home soil. “(I feel) good. I’m ready to do the same thing again. I’ll just focus point by point and compete as hard as I can.”

Elsewhere on the men’s side, qualifier Jay Friend of Japan knocked out top seed Benjamin Bonzi in a tough two-hour-and-47-minute thriller. After dropping the opening set, Friend fought off the Frenchman in a tense second-set tiebreak before sealing a 5-7, 7-6(7), 7-5 victory. Estonia’s Mark Lajal, who’s the eighth seed, took a more direct route to the semifinals, needing just over an hour to take down qualifier Braden Shick of the USA, 6-2, 6-2.

Rounding out men’s singles quarterfinal play, American J.J. Wolf mounted an impressive comeback to secure his semifinal spot, rallying past lucky loser Hayato Matsuoka 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a hard-fought two-hour and 20-minute battle.

In women’s quarterfinal action, eighth seed Maddison Inglis of Australia delivered an upset, taking down top seed Moyuka Uchijima of Japan 6-4, 6-4. Japan’s Mai Hontama continued her strong form by advancing past fifth seed – and compatriot – Himeno Sakatsume with a decisive 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Meanwhile, second seed Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand advanced by dispatching sixth seed Aussie Emerson Jones 6-3, 6-2. Third seed Taylah Preston of Australia booked her ticket to the semifinals with a commanding 6-3, 6-3 victory over seventh seed Harriet Dart from Great Britain.

Photo credit: Bo Mon Kwan