Bangkok: Top-seeded Andy Murray survived a second-set scare to beat Gilles Simon at the Thailand Open on Saturday and set up a final against American Donald Young.
Murray won 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 against his French opponent while the 55th-ranked Young beat second-seeded Gael Monfils of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) to reach his first career ATP final.
The fourth-ranked Murray won 88 percent of points on his first serve in the opening set before stumbling in longer rallies during the second against the 2009 champion. Murray reached 3-0 and then 5-2 against Simon in the decider but needed six match points to clinch the tie.
Murray, who lost to Roger Federer in the 2005 final, predicted Young will be a tough opponent.
"It's his first final, he's going to be up for it," Murray said. "You never know how a guy will react in his first final ... He might be a bit nervous but he doesn't have anything to lose."
The ninth-ranked Monfils' first break point put him ahead 5-4 and he clinched the first set after a forehand error by Young.
Monfils saved one set point while trailing 6-5 in the second before allowing the American back into the match when his own forehand sailed wide as Young clinched the second set.
Young trailed 4-1 in the third set before rallying to 4-4 and then recovering from 5-3 down in the tiebreaker to win after Monfils' eighth doublefault.
"Lately in the big matches that I've won, I've been down," the 22-year-old Young said. "I just tried to fight and not give up."
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