World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka has a chance to retain his 2015 Chennai crown, as he moved into the final of the 2016 event courtesy of a 6-3, 6-4 win over third seed Benoit Paire.
Wawrinka showed perfect consistency, winning exactly seventy percent of his service points during the match, saving one break point, and breaking his French opponent once in each set.
The second semi-final was far less straightforward, as it featured a long battle between eighth seed Borna Coric and 2015 Chennai finalist Briton, Aljaz Bedene. Coric eventually won 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Coric edged the first set, before Bedene responded with an immediate break of serve in the second set. Coric returned the set to serve, before Bedene matched Coric’s tiebreak effort of the first set, winning by the same seven-five margin.
The third set proved as much a battle as the previous two sets. The seventh game saw Coric forced to withstand a furious assault from Bedene, eventually escaping after a service game lasting more than fifteen minutes. Both players dominated on first serve, Coric benefiting from seventeen aces, and Bedene sixteen, but struggled on second, with neither able to win many more than half of their second serve points.
It proved a crucial service hold, as Bedene then gave up his serve in the next game. Bedene fell love-forty behind, and Coric took the first opportunity, earning the chance to serve for the match.
Coric served out, earning the victory in just under three hours, to ensure no repeat of the 2015 Chennai final. He faces Stan Wawrinka in the final. Wawrinka beat Coric twice in 2015, including in the last sixteen of the 2015 Chennai tournament.
Final prediction: Wawrinka to win in straight sets.
