AFP, Los Angeles :
Steve Johnson rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over top-seeded Jack Sock on Saturday to set up a title clash with Thomaz Bellucci in the ATP clay court tournament in Houston, Texas.
Johnson, the fourth seed, came back from a break down in the third set to claim a second career win against Sock.
“Any time you can play on a Sunday in a tournament, it’s a good week,” Johnson said. “It’s my first final on US soil … It’s fun to get a chance to try to win something on home soil.”
Johnson will be seeking a second career ATP title when he takes on eighth-seeded Brazilian Bellucci.
Bellucci downed American Ernesto Escobedo 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, winning his fourth straight three-set match.
“It’s tough to play three sets every day. I didn’t have one day off,” said Bellucci, who is in his first final of 2017 and the eighth of his career.
He admitted he was a bit surprised to find himself challenging for a fifth career ATP title.
“I didn’t expect to play this well because I came Sunday night,” said Bellucci, who didn’t face a break point in the third set. “I just practised once before the first round.”
