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Doha - Stan Wawrinka's bid for a first ATP title since May 2017 was ended by a three-set loss to unseeded Frenchman Corentin Moutet in the Qatar Open semi-finals on Friday.
World number 81 Moutet will face Andrey Rublev in the final after downing top seed Wawrinka 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The 34-year-old Wawrinka is still waiting for his 17th ATP tournament victory and first since winning in Geneva more than two-and-a-half years ago.
The three-time Grand Slam champion had cruised past Slovenia's Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4 in the last eight earlier on Friday and will next play in Melbourne at the Australian Open.
"In general it was a good tournament, I would say, for many reasons," Wawrinka told atptour.com.
"I think in general I'm playing well and moving well. Now I'm going to leave to Australia, one week there to get ready, and hopefully do some big things there."
Moutet, 20, reached his maiden top-level final despite falling a set behind, breaking in game 12 to take the second set before easing through the decider.
Second seed Rublev beat Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-1 in the first semi-final, having earlier cruised past Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-3 in the quarters.
Rublev, a former US Open quarter-finalist, is looking for a third ATP singles title.
Results from the ATP Qatar Open tournament in Doha on Friday:
Semi-finals
Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Stan Wawrinka (SUI x1) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Andrey Rublev (RUS x2) bt Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 6-3, 6-1
Quarter-finals
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x1) bt Aljaz Bedene (SLO) 6-3, 6-4
Corentin Moutet (FRA) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Andrey Rublev (RUS x2) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 6-3
