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

Casper Ruud fell victim to the same spoiler who knocked him out a year ago as the two-time winner of the Gstaad Swiss Open lost a lead to take a quarter-final loss to Juan Manuel Cerendolo 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 on Friday.

The comeback win from a set and 4-2 down by the Argentine duplicated a win over Ruud here a year ago.

Norway’s Ruud won the alpine title here in 2021 and 2022, but could not hold onto his margin as his lefty opponent reversed the momentum to reach his second semi-final of the season.

Ruud looked like finding his element on the clay this week in the alpine village after losing in the Wimbledon first round nealry a month ago.

But Cerundolo put paid to that scenario. The South American was not the day’s only spoiler, with with top seeded holder Alexander Bublik knocked out 6-4 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (5) in a weather-delayed second-round match to France’s Quentin Halys.

Monaco third seed Valentin Vacherot double-faulted on match point in a loss to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-5.

In the first set, ATP No. 13 Ruud saved three break points against No. 45 Cerundolo to hold 3-2 and then broke the South American a game later through a return winner on his way to claiming the opening set.

The Scandinavian went up a break in the fifth game of the second set, but lost the edge as he lost his own serve as the break-back levelled the set at 4-all as the momentum shift took hold.

Ruud’s power faded as his 29 winners over the first two sets faded to four in the definitive third.

Cerundolo advanced on his first match point; he has now come from a set down in three matches this week and stands 14-3 in deciding sets this season.

“I used all my energy, I tried to play my best,” the winner said. “I was able to come back in the second set and I started playing really well.”

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.