Stefanos Tsitsipas jumped on a costly late double-fault from Aleksandr Shevchenko to earn a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory for his first ATP final in a year and a half on Saturday.

The former world No. 2 Greek who currently ranks 85th moved ahead in the Alps at the Gstaad Swiss Open and will on Sunday play his first final since Dubai in early 2025.

The last time he got this far on clay was in Barcelona three years ago.

Tsitsipas will play for his 13th career trophy against Belgian Raphael Collignon, who put out 2-25 runner-up Juan Manuel Cerundolo 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 in their semi-final.

The winner rallied from 5-2 down in the deciding set after winning just one of nine games in the early going against his Argentine opponent.

Collignon will be competing in his first ATP final after saving a Cerundolo match point at trailing 5-3 in the second set and constructing his comeback in the third.

Tsitsipas hopes to have turned the corner in his return to form after a disappointing season where he parted ways – for at least a second time – form his father-coach Apostolos.

The six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist needed one break to take the first set from Shevchenko, but cracked a racquet in frustration at a low point in the second as his opponent saved four break points in the seventh game.

With the match square at a set each, Tsitsipas regained control, breaking for 5-3 as Kazakh Shevchenko double-faulted.

A game later, Tsitsipas wrapped up victory with a forehand winner to the empty court after just under two hours.

“It was a great fight, we both played incredible tennis,” the winner said. “We both deserved the win.

“The altitude (1050m) makes it difficult during the first couple of days. In the mountains the ball bounces different.

“But the altitude also amplifies my game, my best shots pop a bit more.”

Tsitsipas and Collignon have never played: “We both really want it. Everyone wants to go out and give their all.

“I want to get out and take the court by storm.”

Collignon laid out his own strategy for the first-time meeting: “I will focus on my serve, be aggressive and try to play my game.

“When I do that I can be tough to beat.”

Main photo:- Stefanos Tsitsipas winning semi-final in Gstaad © ATPTour.com

Two-time champion Casper Ruud had to work for more than two and a  half hours to overcome Jaime Faria, the Portuguese who put out Stan Wawrinka in the first round at the Gstaad Swiss Open on Thursday.

Faria was riding the momentum from Tuesday’s defeat of three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, set to retire this season and beaten in an opening match at his home venue.

Faria had his eye on a second upset as he faced Ruud, who lifted the trophy at this elite alpine village in 2021 and 2022. 

Ruud  ahd to dodge a bullet and mount a comeback to get through the second-round test against the Portuguese.

After dropping the opening set in a tiebreaker, Ruud played patiently as Faria saved five break points in the sixth game of the second set before failing on the sixth.

Ruud then pulled away for a 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2 victory, his first since Roland Garros.

“Sometimes it is hard to say when you get a good feeling and you start to win some games in a row,” the winner said.

“You try from the first game to the last, but suddenly something clicked in the middle of the second for me, luckily.”

He added: “I had to really fight hard and if I played one bad game in the second and he serves well, it could be over and it would be time to go home. But luckily I can extend the stay.”

The Scandinavian could join Spaniards Sergi Bruguera and Alex Corretja as three-time winners in the Alps, with Ruud now standing 10-1 here over his career.

Stefanost Tsitsipas said he slept soundly prior to finishing off a darkness-interrupted match on Thursday as he eliminated local Jerome Kym at the Gstaad Swiss Open.

The Greek who once cracked third in the world and the 186th-ranked Swiss returned to the clay after darkness on Wednesday night left them hanging at 5-all in the third set.

Tsitsipas revved up his game from the resumption to emerge into the quarter-finals 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).

The second seed now standing 85th in the world after several poor seasons and a split with his father as his coach, said getting his rest was not a problem after the interruption.

“It was strange going to bed and not being finished. I visualised what I wanted to do, my shot patterns.

“It worked out pretty well. 

“I had a good night’s sleep, I was not too stressed and I recovered to get ready for the continuation.”

After saving break points in the first game on Thursday, Tsitsipas triumphed in the final-set tiebreaker 

“I’m relieved I was able to save a couple of break points.. I put my game together and made it )victory) happen again.”

The Greek now faces off against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech for a semi-final spot.

“I’m expecting a lot of big serves, the altitude (1050m) helps. I’ll try to build consistency around my own serve.”