Herbert Saves 2 MP In Shenzhen Thriller

Don’t call Pierre-Hugues Herbert a doubles specialist. This week, the Frenchman is finding his form on the singles court, surging into the Shenzhen Open final in dramatic fashion.

On Saturday, Herbert upset seventh seed Alex de Minaur 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(8), saving two match points in a gripping third-set tie-break. The 27-year-old moved into the championship after two hours and 34 minutes, improving to 3-1 in deciding tie-breaks this year.

It will be the second ATP World Tour final for Herbert, who previously finished runner-up to Kevin Anderson at the 2015 Winston-Salem Open. He will face Yoshihito Nishioka in Sunday’s title match.

“I’m really happy and proud of myself to be in the final,” said Herbert. “It was a really tough match today against Alex, who I played in Wimbledon and that was a big fight too. I’m happy to be through to my second ATP final. My plan is to rest and have a good night and be ready for tomorrow. It’s my dream to lift the trophy.

“Against Alex, you feel like you have to win the point four times. He has wheels and he’s running so fast. He almost got to the last one, where I thought he had no chance. It was an amazing match point and it’s one you remember for a long time.”

Herbert outdueled one of the ATP World Tour’s most determined warriors to reach the final. De Minaur refused to yield an inch from the baseline, but the Frenchman was up to the task. After conceding the opening set, the #NextGenATP Aussie seized the momentum in the second, keeping the rallies short and not allowing Herbert to navigate to the net.

Marathon man ?@p2hugz saves two match points en route to beating De Minaur 7-5 2-6 7-6(8). Into his 2nd career singles final.#shenzhenopen pic.twitter.com/ZkCrBR4mVk

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) September 29, 2018

And once again his dogged defence was on display in the decider, as De Minaur stormed back from an 0-3 deficit to force a tie-break. But Herbert would match his opponent from the baseline, saving match points at 6/5 and 7/6 as the drama boiled over on Center Court. A De Minaur running forehand clipped the tape, forcing a net-charging Herbert to put away an awkward volley. And he would deny the second match point with an overhead smash.

Herbert sealed the victory on a second match point of his own, firing his 42nd winner to book a spot in the final. A 13-time doubles champion at the tour-level, including three Grand Slam crowns and six ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, Herbert is seeking his maiden moment in singles. Earlier in the week, he earned his first Top 20 win of the year in stunning World No. 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, before rallying from a set down to defeat Albert Ramos-Vinolas on Friday.

De Minaur, who entered the match with a 3-0 record in deciding tie-breaks on the ATP World Tour, was bidding to appear in his third final of the year. The Aussie teen remains in fourth place in the ATP Race To Milan and will hope to continue his push towards a Next Gen ATP Finals berth at next week’s stop in Tokyo.

We are guaranteed to have an 11th first-time winner this year, after Nishioka also prevailed in a deciding tie-break to reach the final. He edged Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) in Saturday’s nightcap to move into his first ATP World Tour final.

First-Time Winners In 2018

The 23-year-old Japanese is not only bidding to become the latest first-time titlist, but also the sixth qualifier to emerge victorious at the tour-level in 2018. After storming through qualifying, he earned signature wins over an in-form Denis Kudla, Denis Shapovalov and Cameron Norrie before ousting Verdasco.

Nishioka is the feel-good story of the week on the ATP World Tour. This time last year, he was on the road to recovery after tearing his ACL at the Miami Open presented by Itau. Now, he is one win from lifting his first trophy and returning to the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.

“I’m very excited for this moment,” said Nishioka. “I was not thinking I could reach the final when I was in qualifying. But this is very exciting for me, to be in my first final. I know there will be pressure tomorrow, but I will try to do my best.”

It has been five years since Herbert and Nishioka last met, with the Frenchman prevailing in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Yokohama in 2013.