World number one Jannik Sinner ruthlessly subdued 136th-ranked Terence Atmane 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 on Saturday to reach the final of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open.
Italy's Sinner, celebrating his 24th birthday, ended French qualifier Atmane's dream run and will now try to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2014-15 to win back-to-back titles in Cincinnati.
In Monday's final he'll face either world number two Carlos Alcaraz or third-ranked Alexander Zverev, who faced off later Saturday.
Sinner, tuning up for the US Open in his first tournament since winning Wimbledon, hasn't dropped a set en route to the final.
"It was a very, very tough challenge every time you play a new opponent," Sinner said. "In the later stages of the tournament,the pressure is on, they deserve to be there."
Atmane gave birthday boy Sinner a Pokemon card shortly before they went on court, but he was in a less giving mood once they were underway.
The 23-year-old Frenchman, who beat world number four Taylor Fritz and ninth-ranked Holger Rune to reach the semis, looked right at home in the biggest match of his career, using his powerful lefty forehand to good effect.
But Sinner surrendered just three points in his first six service games as they went to the tiebreaker with neither man facing a break point.
Atmane double faulted on the first point of the decider and Sinner was away, powering to a 5-2 lead and pocketing the set at his second opportunity.
"My experience helped in the first set," he said. "I'm very happy to go through to another final.
"My goal has always been the US Open, But we have put in the work here, in the gym and in practice.
"I just hope to be ready for New York."
Sinner showed a first sign of vulnerability as he needed five game points to hold serve in the opening game of the second set.
But that was the closest look Atmane got at his serve, and Sinner broke the Frenchman for a 3-1 lead and again to seal the match.
Atmane, who is projected to crack the top 70 in the world rankings, became Sinner's 22nd straight French victim since May 2021, when he lost to Arthur Rinderknech in Lyon.
But Sinner was among the many he impressed in Cincy.
“I knew that I had to be very careful, and my mindset was in a good spot," Sinner said. "He was serving incredibly well in the first set. He has huge, huge potential, and I think we saw that in the tournament.”
With AFP
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