Reilly Opelka edged Nick Kyrgios in two tight sets to reach his first clay-court final on the ATP Tour Saturday at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston.
The American's 6-3, 7-5 win puts him through to his third tour-level final of the season, with all three coming on American soil. His three finals in 2022 is second only to Nadal's four.
The third seed hit 18 aces in the match to Kyrgios' 11, and won 86 per cent (24/28) of his first-serve points.
Opelka will face 2013 Houston champion John Isner in an all-American final, after his countryman came from behind to beat defending champ Cristian Garin, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In the second semi-final, Isner's serve improved as the match wore on and ultimately propelled him to victory. He faced four break points in the opening set, then one in the second and none in the deciding stanza, hitting 17 aces along the way.
The 36-year-old is through to his third Houston final after first contesting the title match in 2012. Opelka leads Isner 4-1 in their ATP head-to-head series, winning their past four meetings.
( With inputs from ANI )
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