Peya said he didn’t capitalize on the few opportunities Spadea gave him.
“I felt like [Spadea] didn’t give me too many easy chances on the important [points], and I didn’t make many,” he said.
The 35-year-old Santoro is the oldest champion in the tourney’s 32-year history. A first or second seed has not captured the title in the past 18 years.
Santoro, the second seed, scored six of the last seven points in the tiebreaker to close the match. The six-time tournament champion said he and Spadea would bring plenty of experience to their match.
“All together we’ll be almost 70 [years old] on the court,” Santoro joked. “I’ve known Vince for many years. He’s had a great career. I saw his match today. He’s playing very well.”
Prakash Amritraj was to play seventh-seeded Frank Dancevic, Canada’s top player, in the other semi-final yesterday.
■MERCEDES CUP
AP, STUTTGART, GERMANY
Second-seeded Richard Gasquet of France beat Albert Montanes of Spain 6-3, 7-6 (5) Friday at the Mercedes Cup to reach his first semi-final this year.
Gasquet, ranked 15th, saved seven of eight break points at the event, winning just before a thunderstorm flooded the court by seconds.
The 22-year-old Gasquet, who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, was joined by three clay-court Argentine specialists. He is now the favorite after Rafael Nadal led a host of withdrawals by top seeded players.
“There’s no pressure being the favorite, but there is still some tough competition,” Gasquet said.
Sixth-seeded Agustin Calleri will play Gasquet after dispatching Michael Berrer of Germany 6-4, 6-2 to reach his second semi-final this year.
Eduardo Schwank, the eighth seed, downed Czech player Jan Hernych 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
He will face Juan Martin del Potro, who overcame two rain delays in a 7-6 (3), 6-3 win against fourth-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
■PALERMO
INTERNATIONAL
AP, PALERMO, ITALY
Four-time champion Anabel Medina Garrigues stayed on track for another Palermo International title by beating eighth-seeded Tathiana Garbin 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 in the quarter-finals on Friday.
The 31st-ranked Medina Garrigues won this clay-court event in 2001 and three straight times between 2004 and 2006.
Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta routed Georgian qualifier Margalita Chaknashvili 6-1, 6-1.
Also, No.5 Sara Errani advanced when Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain retired because of a finger injury with Errani leading 4-1 in the first set; and No.7 Mariya Koryttseva defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (4), 6-3.
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