By Tennis Now | Saturday, February 9, 2019
Pierre-Hugues Herbert slashed an ace sealing a 6-2, 7-5, sweep of Tomas Berdych to burst into his third career ATP Final in Montpellier.
Photo credit: Open Sud de France
Pierre-Hugues Herbert's best season start just keeps getting better.
The seventh-seeded Herbert slashed an ace down the middle sealing a 6-2, 7-5, sweep of Tomas Berdych to burst into his third career ATP Final in Montpellier.
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The 27-year-old Frenchman, who opened the year partnering compatriot Nicolas Mahut to win the Australian Open and complete the career doubles Grand Slam, raised his record to 8-2—his best-ever start to a season. He'll look to continue that torrid tennis on Sunday when he faces Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the title.
Tsonga eased past Moldova's Radu Albot 6-1 6-3 on Saturday to book his 29th career final and first since October of 2017.
Herbert should prove to be a worthy opponent for the former World No.5. On Saturday he hit five aces, won 27 of 32 first-serve points and denied all three break points in a one hour, 33-minute victory. The Frenchman avenged a 6-2, 6-4 defeat to Berdych in last month's Doha quarterfinals.
The world No. 44 has won 41 of 44 service games this week advancing to his first ATP singles final since last September when he lost to Yoshihito Nishioka in the Shenzhen final.
Herbert got off to a fast start today.
Showing fine defense, Herbert tossed up a high lob that coaxed a back-pedaling Berdych to net a smash and drop serve in the opening game.
Herbert made the break stand for a one-set lead.
The lanky Frenchman broke for a 6-5 second-set lead. At 30-all, Berdych pushed a pass wide, mischievously tossing his baseball cap at the spot where the shot landed.
Herbert slid his fifth ace to close the match. Tsonga needed just 69 minutes to dispatch Albot, reaching his first final in Montpellier in the process.