The French Adrian Mannarino (43rd in the ATP ranking) and the American Christopher Eubanks (77th) will play an atypical final on Mallorca’s turf this Saturday after beating the German in the semifinals Yannick Hanfman (48th) and the South African Lloyd Harris (298º) of 4-6, 6-3 and 7-6 (11) and 7-6 (4) and 6-4, respectively.
Mannarino, 34, has won 2 titles on the ATP circuit and will face Eubanks, 27, who is reaching the first final of his career.
The French tennis player is the great favorite to lift the Majorcan tournament trophy because of his experience on grass, winning in Hertongenbosch (2029), and Winston Salem (2022).
In the first semifinal eubanks saved six match points (three in the second set and three in the tiebreaker) to defeat Harris after two hours and 21 minutes of evenly matched competition, which began under overcast skies and ended with a few drops of rain falling on center court of Majorca Country Club of Santa Ponsa.
The American hit 49 winners, against 24 for the South African, and 14 aces (12 for his rival) to reach the first ATP tournament final of his career.
Eubanks will be looking to lift the first trophy of his career after eliminating his countrymen in Mallorca Ben Shelton 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (2), the young promise of American tennis, and Alex Michelsen 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-5.
In his participation in the ATP tournament in Halle last week, the American was eliminated by Pole Hubert Hurkacz.
The second semifinal pitted Mannarino against Hanfmann in a match that was decided in 1 hour and 52 minutes.
The Frenchman, winner in the previous rounds against the Argentine Guido Pella by (3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3), and his compatriot Corentin Moutet (7-5 and and 6-2 ), used his seniority to win 82 and 27 percent of the games on his serve and the rest, respectively.
Hanfmann, executioner of the Spaniard Feliciano López in his farewell to professional tennis, and the great favorite, the Greek Stéfanos Tsitsipas, could not overcome Mannarino by doubting in important moments.
One of the actions of the match that could temporarily throw the German into the middle was the ball that hit him in the head of the Frenchman in the first set when the two players were very close to the net.
Hanfmann, angry, publicly showed the mark left by the ball on his cap; then he returned to his usual level, but he could not surpass his rival.
Source: La Verdad
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