By Tennis Now | Tuesday, January 12, 2021

 

Alex de Minaur dispatched David Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 advancing to the Antalya Open final against Alexander Bublik.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve

Alex de Minaur's fast first step propelled him into his eighth ATP final.

Quick off the mark in the decisive set, de Minaur dispatched David Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 advancing to the Antalya Open final.

More: Isner Opts Out of AO

The 21-year-old Aussie ended 2020 winning seven of his last 10 matches, including a run to the Antwerp final and a trip to the Rolex Paris Masters round of 16 where he took a set off eventual-champion Daniil Medvedev. De Minaur has dropped just one set in four tournament wins this week.

The fourth-seeded de Minaur converted four of five break points.



Though neither man is a massive serve, de Minaur backed up his serve more effectively winning 33 of 39 first-serve points, while Goffin hurt his own cause spitting up seven double faults.

De Minaur broke serve three times in a row running out the last three games for his second win over the 16th-ranked Belgian in as many meetings.

Tomorrow's final pits de Minaur against Alexander Bublik.

Bublik banged 15 aces against 11 double faults fending off 33-year-old Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3 in two hours, five minutes.

The eighth-seeded Bublik backed up his quarterfinal upset of top-seeded Matteo Berrettini with aggressive play at crunch time. Bublik breezed through eight of the last nine points breaking at love for 5-3 before serving out a spot in his third career final.

The final is the first meeting between the pair and matches the lanky 23-year-old Bublik's jolting serve and aggression against the 21-year-old de Minaur's precise return and quick counter-punching skills.