Daniel Downs Chardy To Reach First Final

Japan’s Taro Daniel shocked the tennis world at Indian Wells when he ousted Novak Djokovic. And now, two months later, he is into his maiden ATP World Tour final.

Daniel defeated Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 on Saturday at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open in a gritty two-hour, 33-minute encounter that saw a combined 10 breaks of serve and just under 200 points played between the two unseeded semi-finalists.

Daniel got off to an emphatic start to the match, claiming the first set with two breaks of the Chardy serve, which wavered under the constant pressure of Daniel’s returning prowess. The second set was a different story, as Chardy upped his level and began dictating with his heavy forehand groundstrokes to even the contest at a set apiece.

The final set was a seesaw affair featuring four-straight breaks, a run that was eventually stopped by the Japanese in the crucial ninth game. Daniel was able to fend off three break points to hold serve, before breaking Chardy one last time in the following game to claim the win.

The World No. 114’s victory ends Chardy’s bid for his first title since 2009, while Daniel himself will look to become the first Japanese titlist since Yuichi Sugita in Antalya last season when he faces either Malek Jaziri or Laslo Djere in the final, where there will be a guaranteed first-time ATP World Tour champion.

Did You Know?

Four unseeded players advanced to the Istanbul semi-finals, the second time that has happened on the ATP World Tour this year (also Delray Beach).