Jiri Lehecka Sinks Dominic Stricker, Reaches Milan Final | ATP Tour

Jiri Lehecka earned the biggest win of his season Friday when he moved past Swiss lefty Dominic Stricker 4-1, 4-3(4), 2-4, 4-1 to reach the championship match at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

The 21-year-old, who went 2-1 during the round-robin stage, produced a stunning shotmaking display at the Allianz Cloud, timing his groundstrokes perfectly to pull Stricker around.

The Czech fired 21 winners and stepped inside the baseline at every opportunity, closing the net effectively to efficiently win points throughout the 82-minute clash. With the in-match coaching rule in place, Lehecka was in frequent contact with Michal Navratil, who helped guide his charge to victory.

Lehecka will face third-seeded Briton Jack Draper or fourth-seeded American Brandon Nakashima in the final on Saturday evening. The fifth seed played Nakashima during the round-robin stage, falling in straight sets.

The Czech started the season at No. 141 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. However, he competes in Milan at No. 74 following a breakthrough year that saw him reach the semi-finals in Rotterdam and lift an ATP Challenger Tour trophy in Liberec.

Stricker has earned five Top 40 wins this season, including a victory against World No. 23 Lorenzo Musetti in Milan. The 20-year-old, who won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, soared through the Red Group, holding a perfect 3-0 record.