China's Zhang wins Chinese derby to reach first ATP tour final in Hangzhou

Hangzhou (China), Sep 23 (IANS) Zhang Zhizhen defeated Buyunchaokete 7-6(3), 6-4 in a Chinese derby at the ATP 250 Hangzhou Tennis Open semifinals on Monday, advancing to his first ATP Tour final in his career. Both players held their serves throughout the first set, leading to a tiebreaker. Buyunchaokete's double fault during the tiebreaker allowed Zhang, which he capitalized on to win the first set.

In the second set, Zhang broke Buyunchaokete's serve in the seventh game and saved a break point in the eighth game to hold serve, ultimately winning the second set 6-4 before securing the victory, reports Xinhua.

Post-match statistics showed that Buyunchaokete had more break opportunities than Zhang.

"Buyunchaokete played better than me, but some mistakes, such as the double fault in the tiebreaker, gave me a bit of luck in the first set," Zhang said.

The Chinese top-ranked player will face former US Open champion Marin Cilic of Croatia, who entered the tournament with a wildcard and defeated the fourth-seeded Brandon Nakashima of the United States in straight sets in the other semifinal.

"He has a very high-quality baseline game that compensates for his movement, which is something I need to overcome tomorrow," said Zhang, adding that he did not expect to reach the final before coming to Hangzhou and will do his best in the final.

--IANS

bsk/