Top-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic held off Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) to book a title clash with Jack Sock at the ATP Delray Beach Open.
Despite some shaky moments, Raonic fought off a set point in the second-set tiebreaker and closed out the match with his 17th ace of the night to advance to the meeting with Sock, a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) winner over fellow American Donald Young.
“You know it’s going to be close, so it’s about keeping disciplined and a positive attitude on the court,” Raonic said.
World number four Raonic, forced out of the Davis Cup this month with a thigh injury he suffered during the Australian Open, broke del Potro in the 11th game of the second set to serve for the match.
But the big-serving 26-year-old was broken back, firing a forehand wide to give del Potro a break point which the 2009 US Open winner converted with a backhand winner.
Raonic was close again with a 5-4 lead in the tiebreaker and two service points to come. But he double-faulted and sent a forehand wide to give del Potro a set point that the seventh seed couldn’t convert. Another forehand long from del Potro gave Raonic a 7-6 lead and the Canadian won a third straight point to reach his first final of 2017.
“He was coming so fast to my game and slice that I couldn’t manage my backhands,” del Potro said. “I tried my best, but he was too good.”
Sock will be seeking to add a second title of the year to the one he lifted in Auckland in January. He saved the only break point he faced in the match and won the last seven points of the second-set tiebreaker to seize the victory.
Sock said his storming finish belied the challenge posed by Young. “It definitely could have gone either way in the first set,” Sock said.
“He’s a tricky player in that he makes you play a lot of balls and can wear you down, but also has great hands at the net when he comes forward. You never totally know what you’re going to get, so I was just fortunate to come through in two sets.”
Back to back titles for red-hot Tsonga
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (pic) claimed a second title in as many weeks and surged into the world top 10 after beating fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille in the final of the ATP Marseille Open yesterday.
Second seed Tsonga, currently 11th in the ATP rankings, notched up a 6-4, 6-4 win over fourth seed Pouille to become Marseille champion for a third time. Tsonga, 31, won in Rotterdam last week for a first title since September 2015 and his Marseille victory was his 14th career ATP title.
“I played great tennis all week, like last week,” said the in-form Tsonga. “I was never in too much danger. I served very well each time it was close.”
With the Marseille title, Tsonga also improves to 17-3 on the season. He claimed the Marseille title in 2009 and 2013 as well.
Pouille was going for his second ATP crown after winning his maiden title at the Moselle Open in Metz last September. But he struggled at times with his serve, landing about 60 per cent of his first-serve offerings.
He was broken to start the match and again at 3-3 in the second set.
Pouille couldn’t touch Tsonga’s serve, either. Tsonga won 87 per cent of his service points (40/46), dominating games with a 1-2 punch of serve and forehand. He never faced a break point.
Babos beats Safarova for Budapest victory
Top seed Timea Babos roared back from a set down to record a thrilling victory over Lucie Safarova to win the WTA Budapest Open before her home crowd yesterday. Babos lost the first set on a tiebreak before rebounding to take the next two 6-4, 6-3 for her second career title. The 23-year-old previously won in Monterrey in 2012.
Carreno Busta downs Ruud to reach Rio final
Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta came from a set down to beat Norwegian teenager Casper Ruud 2-6, 7-5, 6-0 and reach the final of the Rio Open.
Wildcard Ruud, playing in his
maiden ATP semi-final at the age of 18, broke his opponent twice to win the opener but Carreno Busta battled back to level up the match in a topsy-turvy second set before easing through the decider 6-0.
The world number 24 will face Dominic Thiem in the final after the Austrian second seed, who has yet to lose a set in the tournament, stormed past Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 6-4 in the other semi. Spaniard Ramos-Vinolas briefly looked like he might muster a comeback when he broke serve to level the scores at 4-4 in the second but Thiem, the world number eight, broke back before serving out for the match.
