Lyon, Oct 25 (IANS) Italian Lorenzo Musetti overcame compatriot Flavio Cobolli in a three-set battle, saving four match points in the thrilling semifinal clash at the Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in Lyon on Saturday.

Musetti turned things around after losing the first set and went on to defeat Cobolli 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 to seal a spot in the final.

After hauling himself back into the all-Italian semifinal, Musetti found himself on the brink of defeat on serve at 4-5 in the deciding set. Yet the 24-year-old held his nerve, saving all four match points in that game, including two consecutive chances from 15/40, before raising his aggression to complete his two-hour, 32-minute victory.

Musetti will contest his second final of the season, following his run to the title clash in Hong Kong in January. Hoping to win his third ATP Tour title, the Italian will next face second seed Taylor Fritz, who defeated close friend Tommy Paul 6-3, 7-5 in Saturday’s opening semifinal.

Like Cobolli, Fritz is also chasing a place at the ATP Finals. The American is now up to 12th in the ATP Live Race To Turin, 464 points behind ninth-placed Rafael Jodar, who effectively occupies the final qualification spot. Despite his defeat, fifth-placed Cobolli remains firmly in contention to make his debut at the season-ending championships.

Musetti, meanwhile, will be looking to cap a challenging 2026 campaign with a title in Lyon. The former World No. 5 has struggled with injuries throughout the season, most notably at the Australian Open, where he led Novak Djokovic by two sets to love before retiring with a leg injury.

However, the Italian has found encouraging form this week and will now have the opportunity to claim his third ATP Tour crown, and his first since 2022.

Fritz also had to overcome a close friend to book his place in the final. The second seed delivered an impressive serving performance against Paul, firing 15 aces and saving all nine break points he faced to reach his fifth tour-level final of the season.

--IANS

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