Frenchman Stephane Robert reached his first ATP final in a 10-year professional career with a shock 7-5, 6-4 win against Spaniard David Ferrer in the South African Open on Saturday.
After battling through three rounds, the 29-year-old eighth seed from Montargis, 110km south of Paris, was rated a no-hoper against an opponent 82 places above him on the international rankings.
But history repeated itself as world No. 18 Ferrer bowed out in the semi-finals of the South African event to an unfancied French rival for the second consecutive time with Jeremy Chardy his tormentor last year.
The second semi-final also mocked the form book with third seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain ousting top seed Gael Monfils of France 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/1) in a service-dominated struggle.
Robert was hardly recognizable as the player involved in the previous rounds as his suspect service stood up well in muggy conditions while he reeled off a series of superb backhand winners.
He broke service in the opening game and again 10 later to go one set up and overcame some late second-set nerves to complete the greatest victory of a career that has reaped US$225,000.
■ATP ZAGREB
AFP, ZAGREB
Top seed and defending champion Marin Cilic of Croatia will play journeyman German Michael Berrer in the ATP Zagreb indoor tournament final after breezing through their semi-finals on Saturday in straight sets.
World No. 10 Cilic defeated Austria’s Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 and Berrer beat his compatriot Philipp Petzschner 7-6 (8/6), 7-5.
Cilic came under pressure on his serve in the first set when it was 3-3 with the third-seeded Melzer, but the Croat managed to escape with two aces and then took the tie-break 7-5.
In the second set the 28-year-old Austrian started again to threaten Cilic and was leading 2-0. However, the Croat won four games in a row paving the way for winning the set 6-4 and eventually the match.
The 1.98m Cilic has moved into the top 10 for the first time in his career after becoming the first Croatian to reach an Australian Open semi-final.
It makes him only the fourth Croat to break into the top 10 — Mario Ancic, Ivan Ljubicic and Goran Ivanisevic being the others.
■MOVISTAR OPEN
AP, SANTIAGO
Two-time defending champion Fernando Gonzalez was knocked out of his hometown Movistar Open in the semifinals by Thomaz Bellucci 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday.
Gonzalez, the top seed, was heavily favored to add to his 2002, 2004, 2008 and last year’s Movistar titles. He’d won 11 straight matches at the Movistar since his last defeat in the 2007 quarterfinals.
Gonzalez led 6-3, 4-2, but Bellucci reeled off five straight games. The Brazilian then broke for 5-3 and served out to love.
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