Sousa through to Valencia Open final after beating Pospisil 6-4, 6-4

VALENCIA, Spain – Joao Sousa is through to the final of the Valencia Open after beating Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4 6-4 Saturday.

The Portuguese broke Pospisil in the fifth game with a deep forehand return which forced the error as his opponent sent his forehand long. Sousa remained untroubled for the remainder of the set and closed it out on serve in 37 minutes.

Sousa took full control by breaking Pospisil to love at the start of the second set, and after saving two break points in the sixth game he cruised to a straight sets victory.

“I was very solid from the baseline,” Sousa said. “I know him very well and I was able to make my tactics work against him today.”

Sousa is chasing his first title of the year and will face Roberto Bautista Agut after he saved six match points before beating American Steve Johnson 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8).

Johnson had his first match point in the 12th game of the deciding set and then led 6-3 in the tiebreaker without being able to clinch the win. Bautista Agut then set up his first match point with a backhand return winner and converted it when Johnson sent a backhand long.

Bautista Agut said “it was an incredible match. It was really tough and I was really close to losing. I think today I could win, I could lose — anything was possible on the court.”