ATP New York: Kyle Edmund downs Miomir Kecmanovic to set Andreas Seppi clash

FEBRUARY 16, 2020 05:06

Two years ago, Kyle Edmund was the Australian Open semi-finalist and one of the youngsters to watch closely in the years to come. Still, the Briton lost the ground completely in 2019, winning only 17 matches and barely staying in the top-70.

Raising his level on the black hard court in New York, Kyle is through to his third ATP final and the first since Antwerp in the fall of 2018, beating Miomir Kecmanovic 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 11 minutes. Fending off both break points he faced, Kyle kept the pressure on the other side of the net and stole 43% of the return points, earning three breaks from seven chances to control the pace and seal the deal in no time at all.

From 40-0 down in the second game Edmund grabbed five straight points on the return, forcing an error from Miomir and securing an early break that gave him momentum. Playing against those two break points in the next game Kyle fired two winners to get out of jail and landed a return winner in the next game to open a 4-0 advantage and extend a perfect start.

Serving for the set at 5-1, Edmund blasted three service winners to clinch the set in 35 minutes, hoping for more of the same in set number two. There, he produced five commanding service games and rattled off 12 of the last 13 points at 3-4, breaking Miomir at love in game nine and moving over the top with four service winners a few minutes later to wrap up an impressive victory.

The 35-year-old Italian Andreas Seppi is through to the tenth ATP final, ousting a qualifier Jason Jung 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 23 minutes, moving closer to his first ATP title since 2012! Seppi lost serve only once from three chances offered to Jung, taking more than a half return points and earning five breaks from 13 opportunities to stay in front all the time and set Edmund's clash on Sunday.

Andreas broke Jason in games one, five and nine in the opener, closing it when his rival sprayed a backhand error and moving 3-1 in front in set number two with a break at love in game four. The Italian sealed the deal with another break at 5-2, staying on the title course and improving his ranking position even more ahead of the final encounter.