Sousa, Benneteau meet in ATP Malaysian Open final

Kuala Lumpur, Sep 29 (IANS) World No. 77 Joao Sousa continued his astonishing performance in the ATP Malaysian Open Saturday as he defeated Austrian player Jurgen Melzer in three sets to make his first career ATP Tour final appearance.

Sousa will face Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the final Sunday, Xinhua reported.

The 24-year-old Sousa from Portugal was in the semifinal after beating top seed and world No. 4 David Ferrer in the quarterfinal. He continued his good touch when playing against fourth seed and world no. 27 Melzer by winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a pulsating two hour and three minute long match.

In the second semifinal, world No. 33 and fifth seed Benneteau upset the second seed and world No. 10 Stanislas Wawrinka in a 6-4, 6-3 straight set victory in 78 minutes, making to the final in Kuala Lumpur in the second consecutive years.

Both Sousa and Benneteau will be competing for their first ever career title.

In the doubles, American Eric Butorac and South African Raven Klaasen defeated the American-Romanian pairing of Rajeev Ram and Horia Tecau 6-3, 6-2 in just under an hour in the semifinal.

They will meet Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay and Argentinian Horacio Zeballos in the doubles final.