STUTTGART, Germany — Milos Raonic beat defending champion Lucas Pouille 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Saturday to reach the final of the Stuttgart Open.
The seventh-seeded Canadian had 19 aces and saved the only break point he faced.
“It’s great to be back, healthy and in the final in Stuttgart,” Raonic said on Twitter. “I look forward to competing for the trophy tomorrow.”
Raonic will next play Roger Federer, who edged Nick Kyrgios 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-6 (5) in the other semifinal at the grass-court tournament.
The Swiss star has a 10-3 in career head-to-head meetings against Raonic, although the Canadian has won two of their last three matches.
“The most important thing is going to be to focus on my game and if I can do my things well,” Raonic told reporters after the match.
Federer delivered a short backhand past Kyrgios on his first match point to clinch the victory, which will move him back to No. 1 when the new world rankings are released Monday.
Raonic, meanwhile, earned his fourth straight-sets victory of the week by dispatching Pouille to reach his first final since the 2017 Istanbul Open.
“It’s a really positive step forward for me,” he said. “I’ve played good tennis this week. I’ve come back from not playing the last few weeks and I’ve come back playing at a high level.
“So I’m very happy with myself and I hope I can continue to improve my level again tomorrow.”
Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., won his last title at the 2016 Brisbane International. The former world No. 3 has battled injuries at times over the last two seasons.
The 27-year-old currently holds the No. 35 position in the world rankings.
“I haven’t faced many break points so far this week,” Raonic said. “I’ve taken care of my serve. I’ve done that part well. I’ve created some opportunities, I haven’t always made the most of them but I’m keeping pressure on my opponents there.
“All of that has paid off in tiebreakers. I’ve played well throughout those as well.”