Bernard Tomic is back in line for direct entry to next month’s US Open after advancing to his first ATP final since January.

Less than a week after reportedly being dumped by global management giants IMG, Tomic has responded in style to reach the title match at the Claro Open in Bogota, Colombia.

The 21-year-old backed up his victories over fifth seed Alejandro Falla and third seed Vasek Pospisil with a hard-fought three-set semi-final win over eighth seed Victor Estrella Burgos.

Once dubbed “Tomic the Tank Engine” after confessing to not giving 100 per cent in a match at the Shanghai Masters, Tomic toiled away for almost three hours for his 7-6 (2) 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-5) win over Estrella Burgos, who had ousted top seed Richard Gasquet.

“Last time I played him, he killed me on clay,” Tomic said.

“I was getting tired in the third set. It was very difficult for me today. I just tried to focus on my serve.”

In doing so, Tomic crunched 21 aces to book a final showdown with second seed Ivo Karlovic.

Tomic will be looking to emulate fellow Australian Lleyton Hewitt’s victory over the power-serving Croat in the Newport final last week.

After slipping to No.124 in the world, Tomic would have required a wildcard into the US Open, where he won the junior title in 2009, or contest the qualifying event at Flushing Meadows.

But his run to the final in Bogota guarantees the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist a timely return to the world’s top 100 ahead of the season’s final grand slam starting in New York on August 25.

Tomic hadn’t won four matches straight since reaching the final in Sydney seven months ago before undergoing hip surgery in February.