Sonego Books Kecmanovic Antalya Final

Despite failing to convert four match points before rain suspended play on Friday at the Turkish Airlines Open Antalya, Lorenzo Sonego quickly advanced to his first tour-level championship match on Saturday morning.

After resuming play at 5-5 in the second set, the 6’3″ right-hander completed a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory against Pablo Carreno Busta to claim his second straight win against seeded opposition at the event. Sonego, who began the week searching for his first grass-court victory, also defeated recently-crowned Libema Open champion Adrian Mannarino in the quarter-finals.

The World No. 75 will meet fellow first-time ATP Tour finalist Miomir Kecmanovic in the championship match. The pair has never contested a tour-level FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, but Sonego owns a 2-1 record against Kecmanovic at all levels.

Sonego entered the tournament on a six-match tour-level losing streak, dating back to his breakthrough run to the last eight at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters in April. The Italian did not drop a set en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in the Principality, before falling to eventual runner-up Dusan Lajovic.