Top-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain dispatched wild card Rhyne Williams 6-2 6-1 on Saturday to meet another American, John Isner, in the US Men’s Clay Court Championship final.
Isner beat defending champion Juan Monaco of Argentina 1-6 6-4 6-4 in the other semi-final.
Isner, who lost to Monaco in last year’s final, hit nine more aces for a tournament total of 57, three short of the record set by Pete Sampras in 2002.
Almagro, who leads the ATP Tour in aces, added seven on Saturday. He won 62 per cent of his first-serve points against Williams, who played in his first ATP semi-finals.
Almagro became the first top-seeded player to reach the clay-court final since James Blake in 2008.
The 12th-ranked Almagro broke Williams in the second game of the match and dominated from there. The first set ended with three straight breaks.
Almagro won the first five games of the second set before Williams held in the sixth game. But it was over quickly in the seventh game, which included a 208kmh ace by Almagro.
The Spaniard won the first match point with a brisk backhand that went unchallenged by Williams.
Isner used his power to good advantage in the final game of the match with serves clocked at 229kmh, 232kmh and a fault that hit 237 kmh at match point. Monaco returned Isner’s second serve, but Isner sealed the match with a backhand volley.
Isner appeared headed for another loss to Monaco after the Argentine broke his serve three times in the opening set.
The American rallied from 15-40 in the fifth game to deuce, but double-faulted and hit a backhand into the net at break point. Isner went down at the first set-point in the seventh game.
Isner got more aggressive at the start of the second set. He broke Monaco in the fifth game of the second set and in the first game of the third set to begin his rally.