30-year-old Ranefur received a wildcard for the major competition in Malmö and has proved himself deserving of it during the week.
In the quarterfinals, he pushed superstar Matsushima to the decisive points. The Japanese player won all the sets by two points, including the seventh and decisive set, which ended 11-9.
In the fifth set, Ranefur had set point at 10-9, but lost 10-12. In the sixth, he was down 1-7 but turned it around to win the set. The Swede also had a three-point lead, 6-3, in the deciding set, but could not close it out.
"I'm coming out of this stronger. It was so close that I went to the semifinals," says Ranefur.
