Home favourite Benoit Paire will go for his second ATP World Tour title on Sunday at the Moselle Open in Metz. The Frenchman snapped an eight-match semi-final losing streak on Saturday, beating Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 7-6(5).

The seventh seed struck 17 aces and saved all four break points against Basilashvili, who was looking to reach his second indoor ATP World Tour final of the season. The right-hander fell to Ryan Harrison of the U.S. in the Memphis Open final in February.

Before Saturday, Paire had lost all eight semi-finals he had played since October 2015, when he beat Kei Nishikori to reach the Tokyo final. But Paire improved to 3-0 against Basilashvili in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series to reach his fifth ATP World Tour final. Paire’s previous title was at 2015 Bastad (d. Robredo).

The 6’5” Paire will face a first-time finalist in German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk, who advanced when fifth seed and compatriot Mischa Zverev retired down 6-3, 1-0 because of the flu. Gojowczyk continues his strong second half of the season.

The 28 year old made the semi-finals at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in Newport. He is the sixth qualifier to advance to an ATP World Tour final this season. The last qualifier to win an ATP World Tour title was Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at 2015 ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Doubles Final Set

Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin denied Paire a chance for two Metz titles. The third seeds beat Paire and Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4 to reach Sunday’s doubles final. They will meet New Zealand’s Artem Sitak and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof.

Fabio Fognini saved two match points as he prevailed in a gripping semi-final clash with Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday at the St. Petersburg Open, edging the top-seeded Spaniard 2-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5).

Fognini will look to win his sixth ATP World Tour title when he faces Damir Dzumhur in Sunday’s final of this ATP World Tour 250 indoor hard-court tournament. Dzumhur reached his second ATP World Tour final as he defeated eighth seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 7-5.

Fognini, who was a finalist in St. Petersburg five years ago (l. to Klizan), battled past Bautista Agut in a pulsating clash, lasting two hours and 28 minutes. Bautista Agut led the contest 6-2, 3-1 and held two match points at 6/5 and 7/6 in the second set tie-break, but could not close out the win. Neither player could engineer a break of serve in the decider, and from 3/5 down in the tie-break, Fognini won the last four points to prevail.

“It was a really tough match at the beginning,” said Fognini. “He was playing really fast and really solid at the same time. I’m really happy that I came back to win.”

The 30-year-old Fognini is chasing his second title of the season, following victory on clay in Gstaad in July (d. Hanfmann). This would be his first hard-court title. The right-hander leads Dzumhur 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

The 25-year-old Dzumhur is enjoying a career-best year and has surged to a career-high World No. 55 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after reaching his first ATP World Tour semi-final in Los Cabos (l. to Querrey) followed by his first final in Winston-Salem (l. to Bautista Agut).

In his first ATP meeting with the 6’5’’ Struff, the 5’9’’ Dzumhur withstood seven aces as he converted five of his seven break points to prevail in 80 minutes.

“It was a great day for me,” said Dzumhur. “I played from the start until the end at a high level. I think I took my chances. Today was one of the best matches of the past few months for me. I’m really happy to go through to my second final.

“I knew that I had to play better than yesterday (against Liam Broady) and I tried to fix the things that didn’t work yesterday, especially my serve and my forehand. Also, my returns were great. I was making him play more, because he likes fast points. I think I won because I didn’t give him easy balls that he likes.”

Jebavy/Middelkoop Upset Second Seeds
Roman Jebavy and Matwe Middelkoop reached their first ATP World Tour doubles final together as they denied second seeds Nicholas Monroe and John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-1. The Czech/Dutch duo will face top seeds Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos in the final. 

Germany’s Mischa Zverev, who faces countryman Peter Gojowczyk in the semi-finals of the Moselle Open on Saturday, tells ATPWorldTour.com about his imaginary tennis matches with Andre Agassi and his most emotional moment on court.

First moment I realised I loved tennis?
Subconsciously, maybe when I was like zero years old and my Mom gave birth to me! I was always around tennis courts and I was always enjoying being around tennis courts. My Mom was telling me that when I was very little, when I was less than two years old, I would grab like a brush or something that had the shape of a tennis racquet and clear my room and play imaginary matches against Agassi, like five-set matches. I think that’s when I realised that I really liked tennis!

First coach and the most important lesson he/she taught me?
My Dad. The most important stroke he taught me was the volley and the most important lesson was: ‘If you make the right decisions on court, you’re going to get rewarded.’ So, no matter what you feel like doing, or if you’re nervous or up and down, just try to do the right thing.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour?
I don’t know… Because I feel like now I enjoy tennis more than I used to. The most recent and most special one was actually beating Isner from two sets to love down (in the 2017 Australian Open second round). That was so emotional because I’d been two sets to love down, match point down, break point down in the fourth. It was the most incredible match and the most emotional moment by far.

First time I was recognised?
I want to say it was a while back in France, because I feel like French people enjoy tennis. I think I was at an airport in Nice or something and the person who was checking my passport I think he recognised me. I want to say that was in 2009, or something like that. A while back. It was really surprising!

First time I travelled to a tournament abroad?
I was 11 or 12 years old. I don’t remember where we went, but it wasn’t a fun trip! Back then there was no wifi. I’m sure it was not a first class ticket. It was probably by car or by train for like 10 or 11 hours just reading a book.

First thing I bought with my prize money?
A house in Florida. That was the first big purchase. But I’m not giving out the address!

First autograph I got?
This might sound so funny, but I think I was in Hamburg and my club was the training facility for the Rothenbaum tournament. And the first guy whose autograph I got, and I asked ‘Who is it?’, was Daniel Nestor! He was ranked like 90th in singles back then and that was around 1997, or something like that. I don’t still have the autograph!