Nick Kyrgios has fallen short of a berth against Rafael Nadal in the final of the Mexican Open, beaten by American Sam Querrey in Acapulco.
The Australian sixth seed started the semi-final strongly and had treatment on his elbow at the end of the second set before the unseeded Querrey triumphed 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 on Friday night (Saturday AEDT).
It was a disappointing exit for Kyrgios – whose serve was broken for Querrey to seal victory – a day after eliminating 12-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Querrey became the first American finalist in the 24-year history of the tournament.
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"When I play my best, I'm capable of beating a lot of these top guys and I've been able to put it all together these past three matches," said Querrey. "It just gets tougher from here because Rafa has been playing great all year, so I'm going to talk with my coach and leave it all out on the court."
Earlier, Nadal routed Croatia's Marin Cilic 6-1, 6-2.
Seeking his first title this season and 70th overall, the 30-year-old Spaniard ran his Mexican Open winning streak to 14 matches and 28 sets.
He won the hardcourt event in 2005 and 2013.
The second-seeded Nadal, playing his first tournament since losing to Roger Federer in the Australian Open final, last won a hardcourt title in January 2014 in Doha.
"I have to be playing well to win like this against a player like Marin, so I'm pleased with the performance," Nadal said. "I'm happy with my focus in important moments, saving break points with good shots. I enjoyed the atmosphere here, so it's great for me to be in the final."
Nadal has not fared well in recent years on hard courts. His last championship on the surface came in Doha in January 2014. But he seems to be on top of his game this week, having not lost a set.
"Anytime you play against someone like Cilic you expect to suffer in a tight match, but it was not like that," Nadal said. "I believe that he had his chances, but I played a good game."
Nadal will be seeking his 70th overall title and first this season in Saturday's final.
The last meeting between Nadal and Querrey came at the 2016 Madrid Open. Nadal has a 4-0 career record against the 29-year-old Querrey, who reached the semi-finals in the Mexican Open last year.
"Sam is playing great, beating [David] Goffin and [Dominic] Thiem, so he'll be coming into the match with a lot of confidence," Nadal said.
AAP, Reuters