British number four Jack Draper advanced to his first ATP Tour final with a convincing straight-sets win over Jan-Lennard Struff in the semi-finals of the Sofia Open.
The 21-year-old had not dropped a set in his opening three contests against Maximilian Marterer, top seed Lorenzo Musetti and Turkish qualifier Cem Ilkel, and he took just 84 minutes to sink third seed Struff 6-4 6-3 in the first top-level meeting between the pair.
Competing in his second ATP Tour semi-final of an injury-hit 2023 season, having also reached the final four in January's Adelaide International 2, Draper was on the back foot early on as Struff broke for a 2-1 lead.
However, Draper responded immediately before earning the double break in a marvellous four-game winning streak, also beating away two break-back points for Struff in the seventh game.
A hold to 30 clinched the opener for the world number 82, who fell 40-0 down on his first service game after the restart, but he fought back to hold with a terrific trio of consecutive aces.
Struff missed another two chances to break Draper in the fourth game, but it was his turn to fire three aces on the trot in the fifth, denying the Briton a valuable break in the process.
The German's serve would betray him in the seventh game, though, as he double-faulted on a break point for Draper to send the 21-year-old 4-3 up, and despite missing two match points - one courtesy of a double fault - Draper would get over the line with his 10th ace of the day to reach his maiden ATP Tour showpiece.
The former Next Gen ATP Finals participant has become the youngest British man since Andy Murray in 2009 to reach a top-level singles final, and either Adrian Mannarino or Pavel Kotov will stand in his way of glory on Saturday.
Ben Knapton
