Felix Auger Aliassime beat Italian Next Gen player Lorenzo Musetti 6-2 6-3 to reach the final at the UniCredit Tennis Firenze Open.
Auger Aliassime hit 21 winners to just unforced errors.
Musetti earned a 15-30 lead on return with a cross-court forehand in the third game of the opening set. Auger Aliassime earned a break from 15-40 down in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. The North American player saved two break points to hold serve at deuce for 5-2. Musetti called for a medical time-out at 2-5 down due to a problem on his abdominal region. Auger Aliassime sealed the first set with his second break in the eighth game.
The second set went on serve until the sixth game when Auger Aliassime earned a break to take a 4-2 lead, but Musetti saved two match points in the eighth game. Auger Aliassime sealed the win on his first match point in the ninth game.
“We started the match really good at a very high level. He was playing amazing tennis and I thought: ‘I am going to need to play my best tennis to win”. That’s what I did tonight. I played very complete tennis, a very solid performance. I am really happy and I am looking forward to tomorrow”, said Auger Aliassime.
Auger Aliassime has climbed to world number spot 11 and will mov up to world number 10 if he beats J.J. Wolf in the final.
The Canadian player Is aiming to extend his lead over Taylor Fritz in the ATP Race to Florence.
J.J. Wolf has reached his first ATP Tour final after his 6-4 6-4 win over Swedish qualifier Mikael Ymer at the UniCredit Firenze Open at the Pala Wanny in Florence.
Wolf has moved up world number 56 in the ATP Live Ranking. The US 23-year-old player began the year as the world number 174 in the ATP Ranking and has climbed more than 100 places this year. He has improved his record to 16 wins and 16 defeats this year. Earlier this year he beat Maxime Cressy in the second round and Alexander Bublik in the quarter final.
Wolf converted his second break point at deuce in the first game. Ymer broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Wolf broke in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Ymer saved a break point to hold serve at deuce, as he was serving to stay in the set. Wolf served out the opening set with an ace in the 10th game.
Wolf went up a break in the first game, but Ymer won three consecutive game with two consecutive breaks. Wolf broke straight back in the fifth game to draw level to 3-3. Wolf won three consecutive games from 3-4 down to seal the second set 6-4.
“I have not been in a final before. I am just going to keep working on the things I am working on and not worry about the result. I definitely had to keep my nerve and wait for my chance. He is sneaky aggressive and can turn defense into offense in a second”, said J.J. Wolf.
