French wild card Giovanni Mpetchi Perricard overcame second seed Alexander Bublik 6-4 7-5 after 76 minutes to reach his first ATP Tour final in Lyon on his debut at this tournament. Mpetchi Perricard hit 28 winners and won 85% of his first serve points.
Mpetchi Perricard started the match with a break in the first game and held serve to open up a 2-0 lead. Bublik saved four break points in the fifth game before breaking serve in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Mpetchi Perricard broke for the second time in the seventh game at love to take a 4-3 lead. The Frenchman served out the first set at love.
Mpetchi Perricard broke serve in the 11th game and served out the win on his seventh match point.
The 20-year-old Frenchman claimed the first top-20 win of his career.
World number 117 Mpetchi Perricard is the lowest-ranked finalist in the history of the Lyon tournament. Earlier this week the young Frenchman beat Lorenzo Sonego and Hugo Gaston. He has clinched three ATP Challenger titles during the 2024 season in Nottingham, Cuernavaca and Acapulco.
“It is amazing to be in the final here in Lyon. The tournament is not over. I have one match left and I will do my best to win that match”, said Mpetchi Perricard.
Mpetchi Perricard set up a final against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, who beat Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-2 6-4. Etcheverry won 83% of his first serve points and saved all three break points he faced.
Etcheverry broke twice in the third and fifth games to win the first set 6-2. The Argentine player earned a break in the ninth game and served out the win on his second match point in the 10thgame. Etcheverry is aiming to win his first tour-level title after reaching two clay-court finals in Santiago and Houston.
