Andy Murray will play Tommy Paul in the final of the ATP Challenger event in Aix-en-Provence after defeating Harold Mayot in straight sets.
Murray, who took a late wildcard entry, won his semi-final 7-5 6-1 against 21-year-old Mayot, the fourth consecutive French player he had faced.
In doing so, Britain's three-time Grand Slam champion, 35, guaranteed a return to the top 50 of the world rankings.
American Paul, the top seed, beat Belgium's David Goffin 6-4 6-2.
Murray is seeking a first title since Antwerp in 2019 as he gears up to make what would be only his second French Open appearance in six years when the Grand Slam starts on 28 May.
He entered this second-tier tournament to get more clay-court match time after first-round exits from Monte Carlo and Madrid in April.
In a tight first set, Murray failed to convert two break points before Mayot handed the Scot the advantage with a double-fault on set point.
Having won seven successive games, Murray missed two match points at 5-0 up in the second but eventually sealed the win at the fifth time of asking.
Should he beat Paul on Sunday, he will win a Challenger title for the first time in 18 years and will return to the top 50 for the first time since January when the rankings are published next week.
It is his second final of the year, having lost to Daniil Medvedev in Doha in February.
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