Top seed Lucas Pouille defeated sixth seed Paolo Lorenzi 6-2, 7-5 to reach the inaugural Hungarian Open final where he will play Brit Aljaz Bedene.
Lucas Pouille goes up a double break early on, wins set
It was the Frenchman who would make the quicker start to the match. In the opening service game on the Lorenzi serve, Pouille went up a double break after punishing a forehand winner, 15-40. First time of asking he punished the Italian by finding a gap down the line and placing a forehand to go up an early break.
He backed this up with a hold of serve to go 2-0 up. The top seed then continued his impressive start by grabbing another breakpoint, this time for a double break lead. Running down a dropshot, Lorenzi then left a gap for Pouille to place a passing shot winner to go up a double break.
He then confirmed the double break to go up 4-0 in quick time. The sixth seed eventually denied Pouille a bagel by putting his name on the scoreboard for the first time in the next game, 4-1. Both players then held their next service games pretty easy which left the 23-year-old to serve for the opening set at 5-2.
Up 30-15, Pouille wrongfooted his opponent with a backhand winner to create double set point opportunities. A volley winner finished the set with the top seed grabbing it 6-2 in 32 minutes.
Pouille grabs a late break to seal victory
Both began the second set by holding their own serves. In the third game, the Italian Lorenzi was put under minor pressure by being taken to deuce. But he won the next two points and the game thanks to an unforced error from his French opposition.
For the next five games, both players got into a rhythm on serve, comfortably holding till the ninth game when it was Lorenzi who would be under severe pressure. From 30-love down, Pouille won the next four points including a forehand winner to bring up a break point opportunity. The sixth seed hit a dropshot, making his opponent venture to the net before lobbing Pouille to save a break point.
A second break point would arrive moments later for the Frenchman but would be saved with a forehand winner. A third and final break point would be missed with Lorenzi denying the number one seed once more to edge ahead at 4-5.
Pouille then held serve to love with the score now at 5-5. The world number 14 would hit four straight winners to bring up double break points in the very next game. Attacking Pouille, Lorenzi's attempted forehand went long of the baseline with his opponent grabbing a crucial break now serving for the match. The Frenchman held serve to love with an unreturnable serve to book a spot in the final.