METZ, France (AP) Top-seeded Dominic Thiem rallied past local favorite Gilles Simon 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Moselle Open final, where he will meet another Frenchman on Sunday.
Lucas Pouille defeated 2014 champion David Goffin 7-6 (6), 6-1 in the other semifinal on Saturday. Runner-up in Bucharest this year, Pouille seeks his first ATP title at the indoor tournament in Metz.
Thiem, the world No. 10 from Austria, remains on course to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals for the first time. He hit 10 aces, 38 winners, and won 76 percent of his first-serve points to prevail against Simon.
The fourth-seeded Simon was up a break at 5-4 in the second set but could not seize his chance to serve out the match. Thiem broke back with a forehand down the line, and earned another break at 6-5 with a backhand winner.
After a tense opening set in which he saved a set point at 6-5 in the tiebreak, Pouille was in complete control and converted all of his three break points in the second set. Pouille, who made it to the U.S. Open quarterfinals, finished off Goffin on his first chance with a forehand winner at the net.
Thiem sits in seventh position in the race for the ATP Finals, which will be in London in November, with five of the eight slots for the year-end tournament still up for grabs.