Sam Querrey beats Jose Acasuso to reach Pilot Pen final; tourney moved indoors because of rain

Querrey moves into Pilot Pen final

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Sam Querrey reached the Pilot Pen final with a 6-3, 6-4 victory Saturday over Argentina’s Jose Acasuso, who became so frustrated in the second set he repeatedly smashed his racket on the court.

Querrey will play for the title of this U.S. Open tuneup on Saturday night, facing the winner of the match between Igor Andreev and Fernando Verdasco.

Querrey’s semifinal was delayed a day and played at Yale’s indoor Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center because of the remnants of tropical storm Danny.

“I think it was a little slower indoors,” Querrey said. “Kind of cold in there, so the balls were a little dead.”

That didn’t stop the American from serving 11 aces, once knocking the numbers from the small hand-turned scoreboard in the corner of the court.

He broke Acasuso in the second game of the match. He broke again in the ninth game of the second set, prompting Acasuso’s racket-smashing outburst. Acasuso won just four points on Querrey’s serves in the second set.

“I had only one break point, and he served good that point,” Acasuso said.

Officials were hoping to get enough of a break in the weather so the tournament could resume outside for the men’s final and the women’s final between defending champion Caroline Wozniacki and Elena Vesnina.

The indoor center has a capacity of only 300. Spectators watch from a balcony overlooking the courts or from adjacent courts, where they stand behind a rope.