Defending champion Cameron Norrie has been bundled out of the ATP's Rio Open with a shock straight-sets defeat to qualifier Mariano Navone.
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The 22-year-old Argentine beat the second-seeded British player 6-4 6-2 to advance to his first tour-level final where he will play compatriot Sebastian Baez.
Norrie didn't offer much resistance to the 113th-ranked Navone despite having become the favourite to win the clay-court tournament again after Carlos Alcaraz, Stan Wawrinka and Nicolas Jarry all departed through a combination of injury and defeat.
Fifth-seeded Baez topped his Argentine compatriot Francisco Cerundolo 7-5 6-0 to advance from the other semi to his fifth and biggest tour-level final.
"Argentina has many players and many very good players," world No.30 Baez said.
"We are using this (tournament) to climb up, we are young. I like to play in Rio, come to Brazil.
"When I don't play against a Brazilian I feel like a local."
Australian Associated Press
