Kyle Edmund into first ATP final in Marrakech

Published by Tennismash/Reuters

Kyle Edmund progresses to a first Grand Slam semifinal; Getty Images
Kyle Edmund advances to his first ATP final at the claycourt event in Marrakech, while Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka win multiple matches to line up in the final of the rain-soaked Lugano event.

Kyle Edmund will line up against the in-form Pablo Andujar in the final of the ATP claycourt event in Marrakech, in what will be his first appearance in an ATP final.

The Brit, who had not won a match since reaching the Australian Open semifinals, beat Richard Gasquet 6-3 6-4 on Saturday to advance to the final.

Andujar, who won the Challenger title last week in Alicante, extended his winning streak to nine with a straight-sets dismissal of Joao Sousa.

Edmund is the second seed at the ATP 250 event; top seed Albert Ramos Vinolas fell in the second round to Russian qualifier Alexey Vatutin.

Sabalenka, Mertens put in overtime

At the rain-soaked WTA event in Lugano, Switzerland, No.2 seed Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka won two matches in one day to take their places in the final.

Mertens, an Australian Open semifinalist, was extended to three sets in both her matches, overcoming German Mona Barthel in a third-set tiebreak and Belarusian Vera Lapko 6-1 4-6 6-4.

Sabalenka’s path was far easier; the power-hitter blasted past Camila Giorgi for the loss of just three games in the quarterfinals, before beating Stefanie Voegele 6-4 6-2 in the semis.

Sabalenka and Mertens have never before met.

And they’ll do so twice, after also advancing to the doubles final; Mertens has teamed with fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens while Sabalenka is playing with compatriot Lapko.

Johnson v Sandgren in Houston final

HOUSTON, REUTERS – Defending champion Steve Johnson beat Taylor Fritz at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship to set up a final showdown against Tennys Sandgren.

American sixth seed Johnson squandered a chance to wrap up the match in the second set but left nothing to chance as he raced through the decider to secure a 7-5 6-7(4) 6-2 win.

Johnson, riding high after ousting top seed John Isner in the quarterfinals, is chasing a third career ATP title when he faces Sandgren in the first career meeting.

Eighth-seeded Sandgren reached the first ATP singles final of his career with a 7-6(2) 7-6(4) win over 39-year-old Croatian Ivo Karlovic.

Sandgren, who had just two tour-level wins in his career prior to his run to the Australian Open quarterfinals in January, fell behind in the first set but recovered to seize control in the tiebreak, converting five of the last six points.

The 26-year-old American then gave up a break in the second set when he double-faulted three times in one game but managed to recover again to set up another one-sided tiebreak.

Karlovic was looking to become the oldest ATP finalist since Australian Ken Rosewall won the 1977 Hong Kong title at the age of 43.

However, he leaves Houston with the distinction of being the oldest ATP semifinalist since Jimmy Connors in 1993 by virtue of his quarter-final upset victory over Austrailian fourth seed Nick Kyrgios.

Schmiedlova ends final drought

Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova has progressed to her first WTA final in three years with a straight-sets win over seventh seed Ana Bogdan in the Bogota semifinals.

In the decider she’ll meet No.5 seed Lara Arruabarrena, after the Spaniard saw off Dalila Jakupovic in just 48 minutes.

Schmiedlova, who peaked at world No.26 in October 2015, is currently ranked 132nd and plummeted as low as No.273 in early 2017, after losing 13 straight matches in a forgettable five-month stretch in 2016.

She is projected to return to the top 100 after her week in Colombia.

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