Andrey Rublev edged past Felix Auger Aliassime 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-5) to reach his third final at the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open in Doha.
Auger Aliassime saved four break points in the 10thgame to hold serve for 5-5 after three deuces.
Rublev broke Auger Aliassime’s serve in the 12th game to clinch the first set 7-5.
Auger Auger Aliassime bounced back with a strong second set in which he fired seven aces and won 81% of his service points. The Canadian player broke serve at 15 in the third game to take a 2-1 and served out the second set at love in the 10th game.
Auger Aliassiame was not able to convert a break point in the first game of the third game,
Rublev did not convert a match point on return at 6-5 30-40. Auger Aliassime held serve at deuce to force the second set to the tie-break. Rublev held three match points at 6-3 in the tie-break. Auger Aliassime won the next two points, but Rublev converted his third match point to become the ninth player to reach ten ATP 500 finals since 2009, when the series was introduced.
Rublev has improved to 6-1 in his seven head-to-heam matches.
“It took everything. It was super tough today. I felt like there was not much I can do if he is serving like that. I just needed to be really lucky to break him… He was serving well and I was just saying, ‘Okay, I cannot do much, this is one of the best servers on Tour. I just need to try to guess and when I have a moment, just go for it.’ At 6-5 was the only match point I had, a good [opportunity], and I missed by a little bit. But it happened”, said Rublev.
Rublev set up a championship match against Jack Draper, who beat Jiri Lehecka 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3.
Lehecka broke serve in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. The Czech player saved two break points before serving out the set at deuce.
Draper earned his first break in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead, but Lehecka broke straight back and held serve to level the set at 3-3. Both players held on serve to send the match into a tie-break. Draper earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2.
Both players went on serve until 3-3 in the third set. Draper earned two break points in the seventh game and broke serve at 15 to edge ahead 4-3 when Lehecka made a double fault. Draper consolidated the break with a hold of serve. Draper broke serve on his second match point in the ninth game.
“I thought in the first set I put in a sloppy game. I started to get a lead on his serve, holding easier and creating a lot of pressure behind his serve. I felt more positive as the match went on. I am proud of the way I competed out there”, said Draper.
