QUIMPER, March 5, 2016

Paul-Henri Mathieu and Andrey Rublev will compete in Sunday’s final of the €42,500 Open BNP Paribas Banque De Bretagne in Quimper.

The 18-year-old Russian, who came from the qualifying, received a walkover against second seed Sergiy Stakhovsky, who had to withdraw from the semi-final due to a low back injury.

Rublev is the third teen to reach an ATP Challenger final this season after Taylor Fritz and Blake Mott, bidding to become the 16th teen titlist since start of 2015.

Mathieu had to go the distance beating Croatian lucky loser Nikola Mektic 6-4, 1-6, 6-1. The tournament’s top-seed fired 15 aces, winning 80% of his first service points. He saved 14 of the 16 break points he faced, converting three of his own to advance to his second final of the season after one hour and 39 minutes. Mathieu finished runner-up at the ATP 250 event in Montpellier, losing to Richard Gasquet. The world number 69 and Rublev will meet for the first time.