Chile’s Christian Garin beat third seed Marco Cecchinato 6-2 6-4 after two rain delays in the second set to reach his third ATP final of the season after finishing runner-up in Sao Paulo and winning in Houston.
Garin and Cecchinato met only once in their careers earlier this year. The Italian beat his Chilean rival in the second round in Buenos Aires last February and went on to win his first title of the season.
Garin saved both break points he faced and earned three breaks.
In the third game Garin converted his second break point at deuce to take a 2-1 lead, when Cecchinato netted a backhand. The Chilean player came back from 0-30 down by winning four consecutive points to hold his service game for 3-1.
Garin went up a double break in the seventh game to take a build up a 5-2 lead after another error from Cecchinato and served out the first set in the next game with a service winner.
Garin rallied from 15-30 down to get his only break of the second set in the first game. Cecchinato saved a double break point for 1-4 in the fifth game. Garin saved a break point for 3-4 with a forehand winner before a rain delay. Cecchinato earned a break point in the eighth game with a lob, but Garin saved it for 5-3. Cecchinato held his serve at love in the ninth game for 4-5. Garin earned two match points, as he was serving for the match, but Cecchinato saved them. Garin sealed the second set 6-4 on his third match point with a smash after 72 minutes.
Garin, who was ranked outside the top 200 at the start of the 2019 season, will reach the top 40 for the first time when the new ATP Rankings are released on Monday. He won his maiden ATP title in Houston last month beating Casper Ruud. On Friday Garin saved two match points to beat Alexander Zverev.
“I am very happy with the game that I am playing. I am playing great this week. I played really important matches for my career, so I am just thinking of myself. I am playing really aggressive. I am focused on just myself at the moment, and being ready for tomorrow. Conditions were tough, because we played the same game three times with two rain delays in one game, but I am happy that I won”, said Garin.
The World Number 47 will face the winner of the second semifinal between Roberto Bautista Augut and Matteo Berrettini, which was postponed until Sunday morning at 11 due to rain.
“Both are great players. Matteo won an ATP Tour title in Budapest last week. I know Roberto very well. He is such a great fighter. I just want to be ready for tomorrow with focus and that is the most important thing for me”, said Garin.
