By Alberto Amalfi | Saturday, October 3, 2015
No. 2-seeded Feliciano Lopez edged Nick Kyrgios, 7-6, 7-6, and will face top-seeded David Ferrer in the Malaysian Open final.
Photo credit: Malaysian Open
The Malaysian Open final will be a Spanish showdown of good friends.
Top-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer beat back Benjamin Becker's challenge, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, to set up a final against compatriot 34-year-old Feliciano Lopez.
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The 33-year-old Ferrer advanced to his 50th career final. He will play for his 25th career title against former junior rival Lopez in a battle of veterans. Ferrer is 3-0 in ATP finals this season.
It is the second straight week compatriots will square off in a final. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Gilles Simon in the Metz final last weekend.
Ferrer fought off 11 of 13 points he faced against the 74th-ranked German, including all six break points he faced during the final two sets.
"Today I didn't serve so well, but the most important thing is I was good in my mind and I'm very focused," said Ferrer. "Tomorrow my return and my first serve will be very important. Feliciano is playing very good the last couple of months. I need to play with my forehand and make him move."
The second-seeded Lopez won a serving duel with Nick Kyrgios, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), to advance to his second final of the season.
The US Open quarterfinalist hit 12 aces, won 85 percent of his first-serve points and face just one break point beating Kyrgios for the second time this season.
“The first (set) I took advantage of. It was clear that I normally would win that one but the second one was very tight,” Lopez said. “After 5-4 with two, three crazy points … I think I have to be proud of the way I played because he was really playing well today."
The seventh-seeded Kyrgios hit 13 aces. Three of the four sets the pair have played have been decided in tie breaks. Lopez topped Kyrgios, 6-4, 7-6 (4), on the red clay of Rome earlier this season.
"Experience is always a good thing to have," Lopez said. "But today I think the match could have gone either way because if you play a tie break against someone who’s such a good server as Nick you know it’s going to be tight.”
The eighth-ranked Ferrer holds a 7-6 career edge over Lopez, including winning their last four meetings. This will be the first time they square off in an ATP final.