Moutet stuns Wawrinka to reach Doha final

Doha: Qualifier Corentin Moutet stunned top seed Stan Wawrinka to set up a Andrey Rublev clash at Qatar ExxonMobil Open final.

Yesterday at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex, the unseeded Frenchman rallied from a set down to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to shatter Wawrinka’s bid for a first ATP title since May 2017 and become the sixth french player to reach the final of the Qatar Open.

The World number 81 Moutet, 20, reached his maiden top-level final despite falling a set behind, breaking in game 12 to take the second set before easing through the decider.

The 34-year-old Wawrinka is still waiting for his 17th ATP tournament victory and first since winning in Geneva more than two-and-a-half years ago.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had cruised past Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4 in the last eight earlier yesterday.

Earlier, second seed Rublev beat Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-1 in the first semi-final, having earlier in the day cruised past Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-3 in the quarters.

“Today I felt even better in the second match than the first match,” said Rublev, who needed 53 minutes to beat Kecmanovic.

“I was moving better. I was hitting better. The energy was much better the second match than the first match.”

Rublev, a former US Open quarter-finalist, will be looking for his third ATP singles title today.

“Of course it’s amazing when in the beginning of the season you go to the final,” said Rublev.

“It’s an amazing feeling. So we’ll see what’s going to happen tomorrow. I will do my best.

“Moutet is showing really great game this week. He beat players that [are] really tough.”

Moutet reached two milestones yesterday: reaching his first semi-final and final on the ATP Tour.

The Frenchman outlasted Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 12 minutes in his first match of the day, and followed with a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over top seed Wawrinka in two hours. In the second round, he had ousted No. 4 seed Milos Raonic.

Wawrinka was also doing double duty yesterday, having defeated Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4 in quarter-finals.

Yesterday's Results

Semi-finals
Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI x1) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Andrey Rublev (RUS x2) bt Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-3, 6-1

Quarter-finals
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x1) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-3, 6-4
Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Andrey Rublev (RUS x2) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 6-3

Final:
Corentin Moutet (FRA)  vs Andrey Rublev (RUS x2) at 6.00pm.