Jordan Thompson has given himself an opportunity to win his first ATP tour event after coming out on top in an all-Sydney battle with Rinky Hijikata at the pre-Wimbledon grass-court event in 's-Hertogenbosch.
Thompson's only previous final appearance was three years ago at this same Dutch venue when he lost to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, but his 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory over rising 22-year-old Hijikata has given him the chance of a major breakthrough in his 10-year career.
Saturday's clash was the first all-Australian semi-final in any tour event since Pat Rafter beat Lleyton Hewitt 22 years ago in the Cincinnati Open.
Now the 29-year-old Thompson, who's constantly thrived on grass courts, will face home hope Tallon Griekspoor in Sunday's final, after the Dutchman defeated Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori 6-4 7-5.
The Australian will enter the match with the boost of having won the pair's only previous contest, a key rubber in the Davis Cup quarter-final tie with the Netherlands in Malaga last November.
But sixth-seed Griekspoor has already knocked out two other Sydneysiders on the way to the final, having accounted for Australia's No.1 Alex de Minaur as well as Alexei Popyrin.
Playing in his fourth ATP semi-final - all on grass - against a man in his maiden last-four appearance, Thompson's experience told as he came through a tight first-set tiebreak against Hijikata and went on to seal victory in just under two hours.
Thompson, who recently reached a Challenger semi-final in the London suburb of Surbiton and knocked out comeback man Milos Raonic earlier in the week, only faced one break point all match and saved it.
Whatever happens in the final, Thompson, currently the world No.103, will be back inside the top-100 again next week, up to at least 76.
In the major British warm-up event for Wimbledon on Saturday, Popyrin bounced back from his Dutch disappointment to win his opening qualifying match at Queen's Club against British wildcard Arthur Fery 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-3.
Fellow Aussie Aleksandar Vukic fell to Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-4 in the London tournament.
The draw for the first round proper at Queen's has paired Thompson with Canada's former Wimbledon finalist Raonic again, while de Minaur will meet Andy Murray in a high-profile battle.
Former world No.1 Murray continued his own remarkable resurgence, albeit in second-tier Challenger events, on Saturday when he made it into the final of the Nottingham Open, less than a week after winning the title in Surbiton.
Following his 6-3 6-2 win over Portugal's Nuno Borges in the semi-final, the Scot can make it 10 victories on the trot on Sunday if he beats young Frenchman Arthur Cazaux.
