World No. 59 Sebastian Baez said not giving up was the key in his Estoril semifinal win over defending Estoril champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Baez, who is playing in Estoril for the first time in his career, defeated sixth-seeded Ramos-Vinolas 6-3 6-7 (9) 6-0 to progress into his second ATP final.
”I just tried to continue the game [after the second-set tie-break],” Baez said, as quoted on the ATP Tour website. “Maybe he played a little bit better, but I knew if I continued the level, it was so close. I made two big mistakes in the tie-break, and I paid [for them]. In the third set Ramos was more tired than me, so I tried to [use] that.
“The first match point, he served well. The second, I had one easy ball so [that’s something] to take and do better tomorrow, because it’s a final. It’s always difficult, so I have to do it like today, but better.”
Baez beats Ramos-Vinolas, plays Frances Tiafoe next
Baez made a positive start to the match, having taken an early 2-0 lead.
Baez missed out on two set points in the eighth game but served out for the first in the ninth game.
As no breaks were seen in the second set, the set had to be resolved in a tie-break.
Ramos-Vinolas opened a comfortable 5-1 lead in the tie-break but Baez then won five points in a row to take a 6-5 lead and clinch his first match point.
Baez had match points at 6-5 and then 7-6 but Ramos-Vinolas saved, before converting his first set point to force a decider.
Just when it seemed momentum was on Ramos-Vinolas’ side, Baez showed that wasn’t the case as he broke Ramos-Vinolas three times in the decider to claim a three-set win.
Baez plays in the final Tiafoe, who defeated Sebastian Korda to reach the Estoril final.
Baez finished runner-up in Cordoba earlier this year as he is aiming to win his first ATP title in Estoril.