Rio Open: Diego Schwartzman to clash with Carlos Alcaraz in final

Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], February 20 (ANI): Carlos Alcaraz on Saturday reach his first ATP 500 final on Saturday, beating Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini as he pulled double duty following a Friday rainout.
After an early start against the top-seeded Berrettini, the 18-year-old ended the night with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Fognini in the semi-final at the Rio Open.
“It means a lot to me,” Alcaraz said post-match. “I surprised myself to be able to win two matches in a row in the same day. It’s tough to win one match, two is even tougher.”
He’ll face Diego Schwartzman for the first time as he seeks the biggest title of his young career. Alcaraz won his first ATP title, at the 250 level, on the clay of Umag in July.
After five-and-a-half hours on the court on Saturday, Schwartzman is through to his second ATP Tour final in as many weeks. The Argentine backed up a marathon win over Pablo Andujar in the afternoon with a two-hour win over countryman Francisco Cerundolo in the evening to reach the championship match.
Schwartzman’s semi-final could have gone even longer, but the third seed saved three set points in the opening stanza to pave the way for a much-needed straight-set win. He can look forward to a good night’s sleep after a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Cerundolo on Quadra Guga Kuerten. (ANI)