Hong Kong Tennis Open: Ruusuvuori one win from maiden ATP Tour title after three-set victory over Ofner
- Emil Ruusuvuori battles back from a set down to beat Sebastian Ofner 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in Saturday’s first semi-final
- One more victory would make Ruusuvuori just the second player from Finland to reach 100 tour-level victories
Emil Ruusuvuori is one win from his first ATP Tour title after coming from to beat Sebastian Ofner in the semi-finals of the Bank of China Hong Kong Open on Saturday.
In a game decided by just a couple of points, the underrated Fin triumphed 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 at Victoria Park Stadium to book his spot in a final for the second time in his career.
The pair exchanged breaks early on Centre Court, and Ofner struck again in the ninth game to snatch the opening set.
Ruusuvuori levelled the match with a break of his own in the 12th game of the following set, before breaking for good in the sixth game of the decider to seal the win in two hours, and 13 minutes.
“Ofner has been very good the whole week so you know, against guys like that when the level is that high, it’s a matter of a couple of points,” Ruusuvuori said. “I had that one break point in the first but missed a too-easy backhand.
“In the second and third it was much better than in the first set in those couple of key points.”