Italian tennis rising star Jannik Sinner beat Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 to reach the final at the Hangar 6 of the Tempelhof airport hangar in Berlin. Sinner will meet Dominik Thiem, who beat Tommy Haas in straight sets.
Bautista Agut earned the first break in the third game of the opening set to take a 3-1 lead. Sinner broke straight back on his third chance in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Sinner earned two set points at 5-4 in the 10th game, but Bautista Agut held his serve to draw level to 5-5. Sinner fended off three consecutive break points and held his serve to take a 6-5 lead. In the tie-break Sinner went up a 2-0 lead, but Bautista Agut won four consecutive points for 4-2. The Spanish player got another mini-break to edge ahead 5-4. Sinner broke back to draw level to 5-5 before earning the decisive mini-break to take a 6-5 lead.
The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion served out the tie-break 7-5. Sinner converted his third break point in the first game of the second set to take a 1-0 lead and got the double break in the seventh game to take a 6-2 lead.
Sinner will face Dominic Thiem in the final. A few days ago Sinner lost to his Austrian rival in the grass tournament at the Steffi Graf Stadium.
“I am excited to win against a great player and to have the chance to play another match tomorrow. The first set was very tight. I tried to play with more speed at the start of the second set. It is easier when you are in the lead”, said Sinner.
Thiem beat Tommy Haas 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in the other semifinal. Both players traded breaks in the first two games of the first set. They held on their next service games en route to the tie-break. Thiem won the tie-break 7-4 before earning the only break of the second set in the fourth game to win it 6-3.
Kvitova beats Petkovic in three sets
Petra Kvitova came back from one set down to beat Andrea Petkovic 3-6 6-4 10-5. Both players traded breaks in the opening set. Petkovic won the next three games to take a 4-1 lead with a break in the fourth game and held on his serve to win the first set 6-3.
Kvitova came back in the second set and raced out to a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game. Petkovic broke back in the seventh game and held on his serve to draw level to 4-4. Kvitova broke serve at 15 in the 10th game to win the second set 6-4.
The third set was played under the rules of first to 10. Kvitova raced out to an early 4-1 lead. The Czech player held on her lead throughout the third set and cruised through to a 10-5 win.
