Sousa to meet Bautista Agut in Valencia final

MADRID (Reuters) – Joao Sousa of Portugal will seek to end a run of three final defeats this year when he takes on Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut at the Valencia Open on Sunday.

Unseeded Sousa, who has lost finals in Switzerland, Croatia and Russia in 2015, dispatched Canada’s Vasek Pospisil 6-4 6-4 in their semi-final on Saturday.

Bautista Agut kept home hopes alive at the indoor hardcourt event after saving six match points before edging out American Steve Johnson 4-6 6-3 7-6 (8).

The seventh seed reached his second final in as many weeks, having lost to Croat Marin Cilic at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow last Sunday.

Bautista Agut prevented Johnson from reaching a second consecutive final after he finished runner-up to Spain’s David Ferrer in Vienna last week.

(Reporting by Iain Rogers, editing by Tony Jimenez)