23-year-old wins twice in a day to set up final with two-time champion Pablo Andujar and a chance of his first title
Saturday 14 April 2018 21:15, UK
Kyle Edmund beat Malek Jaziri and Richard Gasquet to reach his first ATP Tour final at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech.
The British No 1 produced two outstanding performances on Saturday after weather had forced Friday's entire schedule to be abandoned, meaning the eight men remaining were all faced with the prospect of two games on Saturday.
And second seed Edmund responded brilliantly first overcoming an additional delay, as the main show court was prepared, to beat Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 6-2 6-1.
The British No 1 was the second man through to the semi-final despite starting almost an hour after the other three matches, needing just 51 minutes to book his place in the last four.
Edmund was then given an only marginally tougher test by fourth seed Gasquet, who had earlier beaten fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-3 6-4 to seal his semi-final berth.
Having lost on all five of the previous occasions he had reached the last four on the ATP Tour, Edmund ensured there was no repeat of his first semi-final when he was beaten by Gasquet in Antwerp two years ago.
He will face Pablo Andujar in the final. The Spaniard had been the last man to secure his place in the semis, first needing almost three hours to beat Russian qualifier Alexey Vatutin before beating Joao Sousa in more routine fashion.
Sousa had been the first man to book his place in the last four beating Nikoloz Basilashvili in the opening match of a busy day.
Edmund's run to the final means he will rise again in the latest world rankings - he will be at least 23rd in the next updated list but a win in Sunday's final means he will move to 20 and more importantly will claim his maiden title at ATP level.
Meanwhile in Houston, three Americans have made in through to the the US Men's Clay Court Championships semi-finals but there is no place for top seed John Isner or Nick Kyrgios who were beaten at the quarter-final stage.
Top seed and Miami champion Isner was up against defending champion Steve Johnson and despite firing down 28 aces he was beaten in a three set encounter.
Johnson, who beat Thomaz Bellucci to the title last year, will next face 20-year-old Taylor Fritz who needed three sets to oust world no 16 Jack Sock.
In the other semi-final, eighth seed Tennys Sandgren beat Guido Pella to set up a meeting with 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic who saw off fourth seed Kyrgios with a 3-6 6-2 6-3 to reach the last four of an event where he was champion more than 10 years ago in 2007.
The Masters 1000 Series continues on Monday when our coverage of the ATP Monte Carlo Rolex Masters gets underway from 9.30am on Sky Sports Arena on Monday.
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