Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev was able to battle from the brink of defeat in his quarter-final on Friday against Filip Krajinovic. But the German was on the opposite end of a Harry Houdini act on Saturday against defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The Georgian saved two match points at 3-5 in the third set en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) victory against the second seed. Basilashvili, who captured his first ATP Tour title in Hamburg last year as a qualifier ranked World No. 81, is now just one victory from retaining his trophy at the ATP 500 tournament.

He needed every sliver of mental fortitude he could find in what was a roller coaster battle against the World No. 5. Basilashvili led by a break early in both the second and third sets, but relinquished those leads on both occasions as Zverev locked down defensively, allowing the World No. 16 to make more unforced errors.

Just as it appeared Zverev would complete his comeback when he had a 5-3 lead in the third set, Basilashvili found some of his best tennis. He saved two match points — first with an inside-out forehand winner and then when he sprinted to the net to swat away a forehand volley — on his own serve before breaking back, ultimately leading to a final-set tie-break.

Despite trailing 2/5 in the tie-break, Basilashvili once again rose to the occasion, going for his shots and landing. On his first match point, the Georgian fired an inside-in forehand that forced Zverev to hit a forehand slice into the net, completing his triumph after three hours and eight minutes.

Throughout nearly the entire match, the rallies were on Basilashvili’s racquet, as the Georgian took his typical big cuts at the ball to push Zverev back. That aggression paid dividends as he took the lead. But when he broke early in the second and third sets, unforced errors trickled into his game, allowing Zverev to buckle down defensively and put more pressure on the Georgian.

Even after the disappointment of losing the second set, Basilashvili remained calm and broke for a 3-1 lead in the decider after crushing a forehand winner. But Zverev raised his level to break back with a laser-like backhand pass down the line. He broke in Basilashvili’s next service game, too, that time hitting a backhand winner down the line on a second-serve return.

But the German was unable to complete the victory to advance to his first Hamburg final. Instead, Basilashvili will face Russian Andrey Rublev or Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the championship match. He owns a 1-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against both players, including a triumph against Carreno Busta in Hamburg last year.

Basilashvili saved 16 of the 20 break points he faced, while converting four of the eight opportunities he had to break Zverev’s serve, as reported by https://www.atptour.com