Machac races past Mannarino to set final against Goffin at UTS Guadalajara

Tomas “The Air Machete” Machac beat Adrian “Manna” Mannarino in the semi-finals of UTS Guadalajara, prevailing 18-13, 14-13, 17-9 in Guadalajara on Sunday.

The Czech, playing in his maiden UTS tournament, will face Belgian David Goffin in the final on Sunday afternoon.

“Today was much, much better than yesterday,” said Machac said after the match. “I was a little bit more used to the service, altitude. I finally felt a little bit of something on the court.”

It was a tight start to the match with neither player able to build a significant lead over the opening half of the first quarter.

Just when Machac managed to get his nose in front, Mannarino played his card to draw level again at 11-11. But The Air Machete finished strong, winning his own card and racing out to 17-12 by the time quarter point rolled around and claiming it on his second attempt.

“I try to always take advantage of the bonus cards because we don’t have them on the ATP Tour,” said Machac between quarters after winning his ninth card from 12 attempts.

The second quarter featured quite possibly the rally of the tournament, with a 30-shot war unfolding on Machac’s card. 

Mannarino prevailed, but the Czech managed to win two quick points in the aftermath, forcing a deciding point to end the quarter. Machac’s momentum saw him over the line once again, building a 2-0 quarter lead.

The first two quarters clearly took their toll on the 36-year-old Frenchman, with Manna falling behind 8-0 early in the third.

While he pegged the gap back to 16-9 by quarter point, the match quickly became a formality as Machac booked his spot in the UTS Guadalajara final on Sunday.

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