Sydney, Jan 12 (IANS): Fifth seed Alex De Minaur of Australia on Saturday defeated Frenchman Gilles Simon in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) to advance to the final of the Sydney International tennis tournament.
De Minaur will face eighth seeded Italian Andreas Seppi, who defeated Argentine third seed Diego Schwartzmann on Friday in the first semifinal.
"It's an incredible feeling, especially doing it at home, in front of my family and friends. I really appreciate the support," the young Australian said after reaching the Sydney International final for the second straight year, having lost last year's title to Russia's Daniil Medvedev, reports Efe news.
De Minaur, who had already beaten the more experienced Simon in the Japan Open in 2018, again displayed determination and stamina to outplay the Frenchman, notching up his sixth win of 2019 from tournaments in Brisbane and Sydney.