Kyle Edmund beaten by Lucas Pouille in Erste Bank Open semi-final
Saturday 28 October 2017 20:44, UK
Kyle Edmund's hopes of a first ATP final were ended in Vienna as Lucas Pouille rallied from a set down to beat the British No 3 6-7 6-4 6-3 at the Erste Bank Open.
Having clinched the first set on a tie-break, Edmund looked to be heading towards a landmark moment against world no 25 Pouille.
But the Frenchman, with two titles already this season, took a grip of the match and assumed control with an early break that proved enough to clinch the second set.
With two-semi-final defeats already this season, Edmund started aggressively in the third set as he sought a maiden final but Pouille had too much weaponry when it mattered and struck with a crucial break in the fifth game.
Having consolidated his break, the 23-year-old then unloaded a 36th winner of the contest to force match point on the Edmund serve and when the Brit fired long, it was Pouille who moved into his fourth final of the season.
Pouille has won titles on grass and clay already and a victory on the hard courts of Vienna will give him a third of the season but Edmund's latest near-miss will disappoint especially as the pair have also been drawn against each other in the opening round of the Paris Masters next week.
In Sunday's final Pouille will face another Frenchman as resurgent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga edged out Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 7-5 in an evenly contested second semi-final.
Tsonga won the title in Antwerp last week and extended his winning streak to eight matches to keep alive hopes of a place at the ATP Finals in London in a fortnight's time.
Like Juan Martin del Potro, Tsonga has timed a late run to perfection and the pair have piled the pressure on Pablo Carreno Busta who started the week in the eighth spot for The O2.
Sam Querrey and Kevin Anderson have also been struggling for form and Tsonga and Del Potro now both head to Paris, whatever the outcome of their finals on Sunday, with a realistic shot at a place at the year end showpiece.
Live ATP Tennis
Sky Sports will have all the action from two ATP 500 finals on Sunday before the final regular season tournament at the Paris Masters on Monday.
The Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan and season-ending extravaganza ATP Finals at London's O2 in November end another memorable year which will be covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with live blogs and updates as the season reaches its climax.
On the move? Head to our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Who will win the World Tour Finals this year? Have your say...
