SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Canada's Milos Raonic moved within one step of retaining his San Jose Open title after he dispatched American Ryan Harrison 7-6 6-2 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
Third-seed Raonic fired 20 aces to set up a clash with Denis Istomin in Sunday's final of the indoor hard court event after the Uzbek beat fifth-seed Julien Benneteau of France 6-3 6-7 6-3.
"I think I did a really good job taking care of the serve," Raonic told reporters. "What I was doing really well was making most of my first serves. But when I missed a few, I was still playing pretty well on the second serves."
In the opening set tie-breaker Raonic wasted little time seizing command.
"The tiebreaker was huge," Harrison told reporters. "I missed a forehand by like a half an inch on the first point and after that he goes ace, ace.
"Then the very next point I hit the spot I wanted to, into his body, to his forehand. He kind of hit it off the bottom of the frame and it hits the net cord and went over."
In the third game of the second set Raonic fought of Harrison's only break point opportunity and then broke the American to seize a 3-1 lead before closing out victory.
(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario. Editing by Patrick Johnston. To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
