Del Potro overpowers Gasquet to reach Basel final

BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) –

Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro looks back to France’s Richard Gasquet during their semi-final match at the Swiss Indoors ATP tennis tournament on October 27 in Basel. Del Potro reached his second ATP final in succession with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Gasquet.

Juan Martin del Potro reached his second ATP final in succession with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Saturday at the Swiss Indoors.

The Argentine ended a 67-minute effort with four straight aces as he completed a demolition of the third seed at the St Jakobshalle.

The second-seeded South American, champion last weekend in Vienna after returning from a month away with a left wrist problem, will Sunday face the winner from top seed and five-time champion Roger Federer and fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu.

Del Potro was pleased with his serving as he prepares a possible title in Federer’s hometown.

“It was almost perfect today,” said the South American who has now beaten Gasquet in five of their six meetings, including three in 2012.

“I was very pleased with my serve. But I still have work to do, I had two double-faults in the second set,” he said in all seriousness.

“If I want to win the title, I can’t have that. But overall I’m glad about my level, I’m ready for a fight in the final.”

Del Potro swept up the opening set in 31 minutes and traded breaks with Gasquet to start the second, But the second seed escaped for a 5-2 lead and turned in his finishing serving performance with minimal effort against an off-form opponent.

“I was a little tired, and I was serving poorly,” said Gasquet. “He was making great returns.

“He’s a tough opponent for me, and he was by far the best player on the court today. I can play better, but he’s certainly not easy for me.”

Gasquet, playing his first Basel, is chasing one of two remaining spots in the year-end finals in London starting November 5.

He goes to next week’s Paris Masters needing top performances from the start after a first-round bye. He stands 10th in the points race with two more positions in the eight-man field still open.

Del Potro qualified into the World Tour Finals this week after reaching the Basel quarter-finals and was helped by the injury withdrawal of Rafael Nadal.

The 2008 Basel semi-finalist has won a career-best 61 matches this season and extended his current win streak to eight matches.