ATP Lyon: Felix Auger-Aliassime and Benoit Paire advance into title match
Benoit Paire had some ups and downs in the current season (as in the entire career if we think twice) but there was nothing wrong with his game against Taylor Fritz on Friday, ousting the young American 6-4, 6-2 in 62 minutes. The Frenchman will compete in the seventh ATP final and this is the second season for him with multiple title matches after 2015, booking the place there with a dominant performance behind the first serve. Benoit delivered fury once he would land the first serve in, winning 33 out of 34 points and fending off both break points to mount the pressure on the other side of the net, something Fritz couldn't endure despite a fantastic performance against Roberto Bautista Agut.
The American served at 44% and that ruined his plans, dropping 40% of the points behind the usually powerful initial shot and suffering three breaks from seven chances offered to Paire. The first break of serve came in game five after a forehand return winner from Benoit who saved a break point in the next game with a perfect drop shot winner, wasting a set point on the return in game nine before closing the set with four service winners for a 6-4. Taylor sprayed a forehand error at the beginning of the second set to suffer another break, moving 5-2 up with a volley winner in game seven and sealing the deal with four winners in the next game for a commanding win and the place in the final.
In the battle of the highly-ranked players, Felix Auger-Aliassime took down the top seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, performing a comeback in two hours and 16 minutes for the second ATP final. Thus, super talented Canadian became the fourth active player with multiple ATP title matches reached before turning 19 after Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet and Andy Murray, the first one in 13 years! It was a very close match and Felix had to draw everything from his first serve to cross the finish line first, saving seven out of nine break points and scoring just one break of serve in the entire encounter at 3-3 in the decider!
Nikoloz was a much better player on the court in the opener, losing seven points on serve and delivering breaks in games one and five for a 6-2 in under half an hour. In one of the pivotal moments of the entire match, Felix defended three break points at 4-4 in the second set, taking the tie break 7-3 after a double fault from Nikoloz and building the momentum ahead of the decider. There, they traded five easy service games as the calm before the storm, with Auger-Aliassime repelling four break points in games six and eight to stay on the triumphant road, breaking Nikoloz at 3-3 when the Georgian sent a backhand long and wasting a match point on the return in game nine. Cold as ice, the youngster blasted four winners at 5-4 to advance into the second ATP final of the season, hoping to become the youngest champion on the Tour since Kei Nishikori in February 2008.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2YM6mWs
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