Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz came from behind to beat Norway’s Casper Ruud 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 to secure his ticket to the National Bank Tennis Open final on Saturday.
Hurkacz, seeded eighth in Montreal, had two major service breaks in the third set and was able to close the books to reach a first final this season at a Masters 1000 tournament.
The Pole knocked out Ruud in just over two hours, winning a fourth straight three-setter match since the start of the week.
Hurkacz, who is also set to take part in the doubles semi-final with compatriot Jan Zielinski, is now awaiting the winner of the duel between Briton Daniel Evans and Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. That matchup will take place on Center Court at IGA Stadium later Saturday.
In his win over Ruud, Hurkacz hit 18 aces to take his tally to 77, which is a high among any player in the tournament.
Ruud (No. 4), who easily beat Quebec’s Félix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals, was the highest-ranked player still in contention for the title in Montreal. He was trying to reach the final of a Masters 1000 tournament for the second time this season, after losing in Miami.
After a long first game on serve, Hurkacz built a 2-0 lead when he smashed his opponent on his first attempt. Ruud, however, recovered this point in the fifth game, when the Pole sent his forehand into the net after saving two break points.
Both players then won their serve games until the Norwegian broke his opponent to take a 6-5 lead. Ruud landed a superb forehand down the line to get the decisive point and he won his serve at zero to save himself with the first set.
From the sixth game to the 12th, Ruud won 16 consecutive points on serve.
The tables were turned in the second set, as this time Ruud smashed Hurkacz in the opener, but the Pole immediately returned the courtesy to tie the game 1-1.
Hurkacz had a door opened to him in the sixth game and he took advantage of it. His smash allowed him to break his rival and he resisted two break points in the seventh game before eventually winning the second set.
The Pole also played luck from the start of the final set. On his first opportunity to break, he saw the ball hit the top of the net before landing on Ruud’s side. Hurkacz recorded another break when the Norwegian picked up the ball and eventually pulled away to win the match.