ATP Citi Open: Milos Raonic defeats Donald Young to reach first final of the year
Sunday 3 August 2014 07:33, UK
Milos Raonic reached his first ATP Tour final of 2014 after clinching a 6-4 7-5 victory over Donald Young at the Citi Open in Washington.
The Canadian has been climbing the rankings this year and reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, but he is still waiting to win a title.
That drought could end on Sunday after he booked a place in the Washington final after winning an all-North American battle with the United States' Young in an hour and 15 minutes.
"I have a much better understanding of what I need to bring out myself, especially early in a tournament, to reach the weekend stages," Raonic said.
"Mentally I know what I need to do to compete better in the important stages of matches."
Vasek Pospisil made it an all-Canadian final after he overcame Colombia's Santiago Giraldo 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 6-4 in the last of the quarter-finals before seeing off Frenchman Richard Gasquet in strikingly similar fashion, 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 7-5, to reach the final.
In the women's draw, Sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova overcame fellow Russian and second seed Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-2 to set up a meeting with Japan's Kurumi Nara who progressed to her second career WTA final with victory over Marina Erakovic.
Nara had to come back from a terrible start as she surrendered the first set 6-0 but fought back to claim a 0-6 6-4 6-4 win over the New Zealander.
The 22-year-old's previous appearance in a final came in February this year as she claimed her maiden title in Rio de Janeiro.
