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Baez battles past Coric to reach Winston-Salem final / Photo: Chuck Burton - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Baez battles past Coric to reach Winston-Salem final
Argentine Sebastian Baez will face Czech Jiri Lehecka in the final of the ATP Winston-Salem Open on Saturday after he battled to a three sets win over Croatian top seed Borna Coric on Friday.
Baez needed three hours and 19 minutes to earn his spot in his first tour-level hard court final with a 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/2) victory.
The match was a preview of the pair's first round meeting in the US Open next week and the 22-year-old Baez began in dominant fashion, dropping just one point off his serve in the opening set.
Baez was in charge at 3-1 up in the second but had to visit the physio after suffering a nosebleed and was then promptly broken as Coric fought back to take the contest to a third set.
But the 22-year-old Baez held firm to collect his ninth straight win as he looks to add to his ATP 250 victory in Kitzbuehel last month.
The Argentine conceded he had struggled after his medical break.
"I think at that time, the match changed. Every point, he was better than me. After three hours, I think I have to take a rest and be focussed on tomorrow. I am happy but I have one more match," he said.
Lehecka reached the final after third-seeded American Sebastian Korda withdrew with an ankle injury picked up in his quarter-final win on Thursday against Richard Gasquet.
B.Dietrich--BlnAP
