Tommy Haas claims spot in Washington final

HEAD racquet rebel Tommy Haas reached the final at the ATP Citi Open in Washington. The 34-year-old concluded a tough tiebreak first set before he finally fell to Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-1. Haas did not drop a single set on the way to the final including a straight set win over No. 1 seed Mardy Fish in the semifinals.

Haas played a fantastic season so far beating Roger Federer in the home final of Halle and playing title matches in Hamburg and Washington - all in less than two months. He started started the season outside the ranking Top 200 but now stands 25th, was seeking a ninth career title in the US, where he had never lost a final.

The German was disappointed with the loss but still content with another solid week after playing the Hamburg final last month. "I've proven myself over the last few months, it's been unbelievable. I thought I had some chances to win this title and I really wanted it. It's always tough to lose, even when you had a great week, but you just have to let it sink in and overall, I'm really proud to get here to a final and play really solid tennis. I just hope I can stay injury-free and keep going and try to keep it moving."

Haas stays on the hardcourt as the US Open approaches, playing this week's ATP 1000 Masters tournament in Toronto.