Story highlights
Andy Murray through to first final since winning Wimbledon in July 2013
Scot will face Spain's Tommy Robredo in Sunday's final
Petra Kvitova wins Wuhan Open to book place at WTA Finals in Singapore
Andy Murray will look to clinch the 29th singles title of his career on Sunday when he faces Spain’s Tommy Robredo in the final of the inaugural Shenzhen Open in China.
Murray, who is bidding to win his first title since lifting the Wimbledon crown almost 15 months ago, was made to work hard by his semifinal opponent Juan Monaco.
The Argentine threatened to end the Murray’s run after taking the first set before the Scot battled back eventually running out a 2-6 6-3 6-0 winner in one hour 42 minutes.
“It’s been a tough year for me,” Murray said, ATPTour.com reported. “The first few months coming back from surgery were hard, then I lost a bit of confidence. But I’ve felt better the past few months and hopefully I can have a strong end to the season.”
Robredo, meanwhile, reached his 21st ATP Tour final of his career in easier fashion beating Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 6-1 6-4 in 70 minutes.
Victory for Murray on Sunday would not only cap a welcome return to form but also boost his chances of reaching the ATP Tour Finals at London’s O2 Arena in November.
Murray is currently 11th in the standings and needs to picks up at least three places to guarantee his participation in the lucrative season finale.
Kvitova books place in WTA Finals
Meanwhile 800 miles north of Shenzhen, Petra Kvitova sealed her spot at WTA Finals in Singapore with victory over Eugenie Bouchard in the Wuhan Open.
The Czech player, who overwhelmed Bouchard in the Wimbledon final last July, wasted little time in seeing her Canadian opponent again winning through in straight sets 6-3 6-4.
Victory means Kvitova joins Serena Williams, Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova on the list of women to have sealed qualification for next month’s season-ending finals.
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