Argentinian tennis star Juan Martin del Potro says Saturday's ASB Classic final against Roberto Bautista Agut will be his toughest Auckland test after dismissing Spanish veteran David Ferrer 6-4 6-4 in Friday's semi-final.
Renowned for his destructive service game, del Potro struggled to unleash his greatest weapon but still kept Ferrer pinned back with his forehand.
He broke late against a scampering Ferrer to earn a 6-4 first-set win before seizing another crucial break at 4-4 in the second set and serving out the match.
- Roberto Bautista Agut through to ASB Classic final with win over Dutchman Robin Haase
Like the dynamic Ferrer, del Potro also managed to keep himself in the hunt, saving six break points and frustrating the Spaniard with his staying power.
The oft-injured world No.12 will go on to face Bautista Agut, who did it the hard way against semi-final foe Robin Haase by winning 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-5).
"I had luck to break his serves twice and that's it, then I held my serve in all the second set, saving break points, playing good tennis down the line, and I had to take a risk playing against David because he's a fighter," del Potro said.
"Bautista Agut is a dangerous player, he has experience in finals and he beat me in the past (at the 2014 Australian Open), so it's going to be difficult."
While del Potro was trumped by the Spaniard in 2014, he has since beaten him three times, including at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 US Open.
Earlier, the world No.21 Bautista Agut found valiant opposition in the journeyman Haase, who recovered from a poor start to win the first set.
But with all three sets going to a tiebreak, Bautista Agut's relentless accuracy and fitness came to the fore, helping him win in just under three hours.
"I tried to not make mistakes, play in the right places, try and play as hard as possible with all the pressure," Bautista Agut said of the third-set tiebreak.
"I knew he would fight until the end."
The second-seeded del Potro will aim for his first Classic title since 2009, while the fifth-seeded Bautista Agut will seek his second crown in three years.
Del Potro - who'll head into the final as a red-hot favourite - hoped to lift the trophy once again, as he gears up for a 2018 Australian Open tilt.
"It was a great year for me (in 2009), winning the first title of the year here in Auckland, so I'd like to repeat it for sure," the 29-year-old del Potro said.
"I'll be OK for tomorrow, I have enough time to recover now - in the final, no pain matters, so I'll have to be focused on the game."
In the doubles, Belarusian Max Mirnyi and Austrian Philipp Oswald will take on Austrian Oliver Marach and Croatian Mate Pavic.
NZN