Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil advanced to the Geneva Open final on Friday and was to play Joao Sousa of Portugal for the title.
Bellucci, twice a champion at Switzerland’s other clay-court event in Gstaad, eased past Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 6-4.
The 60th-ranked Bellucci said: “This is my favorite place to play. Maybe I feel very relaxed here.”
Photo: EPA
The sixth-seeded Sousa beat Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the other semi-final.
Though Sousa again won a third-set decider, it was less dramatic than his quarter-final win over Spain’s Pablo Andujar when he saved four straight match points in a tiebreaker.
OPEN DE NICE
Dominic Thiem hit 11 aces on Friday to upset second-seeded John Isner and set up a final against Leonardo Mayer at the Open de Nice.
The big-serving Isner also had 11 aces and saved seven of eight break points in the first set, but lost the first three games of the second set to slump to a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 loss at the clay-court tournament.
The 42nd-ranked Thiem, who is chasing his maiden ATP tour title, said: “You don’t play a final every week, so I am really happy, but if I lose tomorrow [yesterday], I won’t win the tournament. I will do everything I can to win my first title.”
The fourth-seeded Mayer defeated Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3 in the other semi-final after fending off 11 break points.
Strasbourg
Third-seeded Samantha Stosur advanced to her first final this season with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 win over Sloane Stephens at the Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Stosur, a former French Open finalist, is hitting form at the right time, with the clay-court Grand Slam tournament to start today at Roland Garros.
Stosur was to face Kristina Mladenovic, who won an all-French semi-final when Virginie Razzano retired with an abdominal injury while trailing 6-3, 1-2.
NUREMBERG
At the Nurnberger Versicherungscup, Roberta Vinci of Italy defeated Germany’s Angelique Kerber in a walkover, while Italian Karin Knapp beat Lara Arruabarrena of Spain 6-0, 6-2 to also make the final.
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