PRAGUE, August 21, 2020
Top seed Stan Wawrinka and unseeded Russian Aslan Karatsev will compete in Saturday’s singles final of the € 137,560 I.CLTK Prague Open 2020 by Moneta.
Wawrinka, the marathon man of the ATP Challenger clay-court event, had to go the distance for the fourth consecutive time, battling past Czech wild card entry Michael Vrbensky 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
The World No. 17 from Switzerland sent down seven aces and won 78 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and 20 minutes.
Stan’s road to the Prague final.
Four matches, four deciding-set wins. 😐👈
✅ 2R: d. Safiullin 61 46 61
✅ 3R: d. Otte 36 75 61
✅ QF: d. Nagal 26 60 61
✅ SF: d. Vrbensky 57 63 63 pic.twitter.com/eU34OUQkrh— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) August 21, 2020
Later on Friday, Karatsev outlasted No. 3 seeded Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-5, 7-6(7). The 26-year-old from Moscow capitalized on three of his 11 break point chances to seal victory in two hours and 13 minutes.
Karatsev is seeking his second ATP Challenger crown following his maiden triumph at 2015 Kazan in Russia. Three-time Grand-Slam champion Wawrinka could lift his seventh Challenger career trophy, his first since winning on home soil in Lugano 10 years ago. This has also been the last time, Wawrinka appeared on the Challenger circuit. Karatsev and Wawrinka will meet for the first time.
