Mischa Zverev and Lukas Lacko continued stunning weeks in Eastbourne with straight-sets semifinal victories, setting up one last pre-Wimbledon tuneup in Saturday’s championship match.
Zverev, at No. 67 the higher ranked of the finalists, displayed his trademark serve-and-volley game to decent effectiveness in dispatching Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6, 6-4 despite putting just 64 percent of first serves in play and converting only three of 11 break points. Six double faults also hurt the veteran German, but Kukushkin was unable to take advantage and put up similarly mediocre serving numbers.
Zverev was unable to serve out the first set, then was nearly broken again before failing to convert three set points on the Kazakh’s racket. Kukushkin then had four set points in the tiebreak thanks to far stronger groundstroke play, but couldn’t get over the hump; Zverev drilled a first serve and deposited a clean vollley to secure the set.
The German broke early in the second to take what appeared to be a commanding lead, but he was broken immediately back at love. When Kukushkin hit a forehand into the net five games later, Zverev took full opportunity: He served out the match, reaching his first singles final on grass, with a forceful service winner.
Lacko looked like a seasoned grass-court specialist in his 6-3, 6-4 defeat of No. 4 seed Marco Cecchinato. The 30-year-old Slovak allowed none of his service games to reach deuce — let alone face break points — and won 85 percent of points on his serve.
He broke on his first opportunity in the first set before Cecchinato matched his outstanding form for much of the second set. Lacko got a small opportunity at 4-4, jumping ahead 0-30 on the Italian’s serve. Cecchinato leveled at 30-30, but then sent a loose forehand long and a tight one short, giving Lacko the lead he needed to see out the match on his serve.
The Slovak, at No. 93 the last direct entry into the tournament, will play in just his second tour final — he lost in a now-defunct event six years ago — and first on grass. Zverev won the lone meeting between the two, a straight sets decision on grass in Halle last year.
