By Tennis Now | Saturday, October 6, 2018
Nikoloz Basilashvili beat Kyle Edmund, 7-6 (6), 6-4, to advance to a Beijing final meeting with top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro.
Photo credit: China Open Facebook
Nikoloz Basilashvili took a medical timeout after the opening game.
Confronting on-court pain, Basilashvili unleashed awesome power as an antidote.
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Playing aggressive, grip-and-rip tennis, Basilashvili beat Kyle Edmund, 7-6 (6), 6-4, to advance to a Beijing final meeting with top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro.
The US Open finalist reached his sixth final of the season when fourth-seeded Fabio Fognini conceded a walkover due to an ankle injury.
The 30-year-old del Potro is bidding for his 23rd career title and first championship since he out-dueled Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (2), to win his first career Masters Series championship in Indian Wells in March.
The 2009 US Open champion won his lone meeting with Basilashvili at the 2017 Shanghai Rolex Masters, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
At the Australian Open in January, Edmund rallied from a two-sets-to-one deficit defeating Basilashvili, 7-6 (0), 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
In today's rematch, Basilashvili showed comeback skills.
Serving at 4-5 in the opener, Basilashvili staved off three set points working through a tense hold to level after 10 games.
The Australian Open semifinalist jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the tie break, but Basilashvili was just getting warmed up.
An incorrect over-rule from the chair umpire off an Edmund shot that hit the baseline forced a replay. Edmund netted a forehand then saw Basilashvili flick a forehand return for 5-4.
Edmund saved set points at 4-6 and 5-6 to level the breaker.
When the Briton sailed his best shot, the forehand, it brought up a third set point.
Basilashvili blasted his fifth ace out wide to snatch a one-set lead.
The Edmund forehand deserved him in the second game of the second set as Basilashvili broke for 2-0.
The 26-year-old Basilashvili earned his first match point in the eighth game of the second set, but tightened up slapping a low forehand into the middle of the net.
Edmund dodged the pressure holding for 3-5.
Serving for a spot in his fourth career final, Basilashvili couldn't tame the nerves.
The British No. 1 was one of five on break-point conversions to that point. Edmund drained errors from the baseliner, breaking back for 4-5 when the bearded Basilashvili knocked a ball into net.
It was Edmund's turn to tighten in the 10th game.
Sending his favored forehand long, the Brit fell into a triple match point hole.
On his third match point, Basilashvili banged deep drives drawing an errant forehand to close it in 100 minutes.