Chennai, India (SportsNetwork.com) – Stanislas Wawrinka is in position to
claim his second consecutive Chennai Open title after a straight-set semifinal
win Saturday over Belgium’s David Goffin.
The top-seeded Wawrinka earned a 7-5, 6-3 victory and will take on Slovenian
qualifier Aljaz Bedene on Sunday for the championship. Bedene, ranked 156th in
the world, continued his surprising run with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win over
third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut in the first semifinal.
Bedene saved four match points to reach his first-ever ATP World Tour final.
He was a semifinalist at this event two years ago, when he knocked off
Wawrinka in the quarterfinals before falling to Janko Tipsarevic in the next
round.
Bautista Agut was the 2013 Chennai runner-up to Tipsarevic and last year
captured his first two ATP World Tour titles.
Bedene has a tough task ahead of him on Sunday, as Wawrinka will try for his
eighth career title and third at this season-opening event.
The Swiss star used this tournament victory last year as a stepping stone to
his first major title a few weeks later at the Australian Open. He also won
the Chennai crown in 2011 and was the runner-up in 2010.
Chennai serves as a tune-up for the Aussie Open, which will begin Jan. 19.
