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Tsitsipas to face Auger-Aliassime for Rotterdam title
Greeces Stefanos Tsitsipas returns the ball to Belarus Ilja Ivashka at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Ahoy, Rotterdam February 10, 2022. u00e2u20acu201d AFP pic

ROTTERDAM, Feb 13 — Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas reached his first final since last year’s French Open when he came back from a set down to defeat Czech qualifier Jiri Lehecka in the Rotterdam semi-finals on Saturday.

World number four Tsitsipas edged his 20-year-old rival 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 and will face Felix Auger-Aliassime for the title on Sunday.

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Canadian third seed Auger-Aliassime defeated Russian second seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2.

"He was really pushing me,” said Greek star Tsitsipas of 20-year-old Lehecka, ranked at 137 in the world.

"I didn’t know what to expect, so I was trying to figure out his patterns and his game. He was playing incredibly well after the first serve, pressing and attacking like I had never seen before. I had to stay in the match and I managed to survive.”

Auger-Aliassime sealed victory over Rublev on the back of 41 winners, including 11 aces.

The 21-year-old will be looking to secure a maiden ATP title on Sunday having lost all of the eight finals he has contested in his career.

Tsitsipas boasts a 5-2 head-to-head record over the Canadian. — AFP

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