British number one Jack Draper has reached the Erste Bank Open final by beating Italian Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets in Vienna.
Seventh seed Draper, 22, broke sixth seed Musetti, also 22, five times in Austria to win 6-2, 6-4 and reach his first ATP 500 final.
Draper has won one ATP 250 title – the 2024 Stuttgart Open.
“I suppose it is my biggest final yet,” Draper said.
“I have been in 250 finals, Grand Slam semis, obviously a bigger match than tomorrow, but at the same time to be in the final of a 500 after all the work I put in this year and the season I have had, I am incredibly grateful.”
One difference between ATP 250 and ATP 500 titles is the amount of points a player earns for winning a tournament.
Victory over Musetti also moved Draper to world number 15, leapfrogging the Italian who sits in 16th.
Draper will play either Australia’s Alex de Minaur or Russian Karen Khachanov, who play later on Saturday, in Sunday’s final.
Ben Shelton will only spend a week outside the ATP Top 20 this year after securing a spot at the Swiss Indoors Basel with a straight-set victory over World No.
Denis Shapovalov accidentally hit the chair umpire during his quarterfinal match at the Basel International. The Canadian was playing against Giovanni
Jack Draper's remarkable season reached another high on Saturday as he made it through to his first ATP 500 final at the Erste Ban