Tokyo – Third seed Milos Raonic dominated Gilles Simon of France 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday to reach his third consecutive Japan Open final.
The Canadian, who stands provisional eighth this week in the points race to next month's ATP World Tour Finals in London, hammered 11 aces including one to set up three match points.
The 23-year-old needed just 71 minutes to advance to Sunday's title match against either US Open finalist and fourth seed Kei Nishikori or German Benjamin Becker.
Nishikori defeated Raonic in the 2012 Tokyo final. He lost last year to Juan Martin del Potro.
Raonic breezed through the opening set against the 37th-ranked Simon in just over half an hour, but then had to maintain his concentration for a further 30 minutes while the roof of the Ariake Colosseum was closed because of drizzle.
The Canadian came out strong in the second set, breaking for 3-2 from a Simon double-fault, and then dominated to the end as he advanced on his second match point.
Raonic, winner of the Washington event in August, now stands a perfect 3-0 against the 29-year-old Frenchman. – Sapa-AFP