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Federer sets up Djokovic clash

Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny returns to compatriot Nikolay Davydenko during their Valencia Open semi-final in Valencia, Spain, on Saturday. PHOTO: EPA

Roger Federer beat childhood friend Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 on Saturday to clinch a 19th straight victory at the Swiss Indoors tournament and set up a final with Novak Djokovic.

Federer will be bidding for a fourth consecutive Swiss Indoors title when he faces the second-seeded Serb, who saved three match points in spectacular fashion to win a dramatic semi-final over Radek Stepanek 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-2.

World No. 1 Federer leads Djokovic 9-4 in their career series, standing 2-2 this season with his rival.

Federer last lost in Basel in 2003 to Ivan Ljubicic, returned in 2006 and has won the last three editions.

Chiudinelli saved a set point in the combative opening set, but then was passed on one of his own before Federer landed the tie-breaker.

Federer took control 4-1 in the second on his way to a 59th victory this season.

“I tried to be focused, especially in the tie-break,” Federer said. “On this surface, you can suddenly be down love-30, it can go quickly.”

Djokovic, winner of three titles this year, moved into his ninth final of the year and remains the leader in ATP matches won in the season on 70.

He looked to be on the brink of a loss, trailing a set and 4-5 after Stepanek had taken the lead with his sixth ace in the previous game.

Facing three match points in the 10th game after a double-fault, Djokovic calmly saved two with winners, while a Stepanek error accounted for the third.

A break in the next game for 6-5 and a forehand winner to end the set breathed new life into Djokovic.

The Serbian began the final set with a break and closed out Stepanek with a break in the seventh game and an error from the Czech a game later to escape.



■VALENCIA OPEN

AP, VALENCIA, SPAIN

Top-seeded Andy Murray held off fourth-seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the Valencia Open final against Mikhail Youzhny on Saturday.

Youzhny defeated second-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in an all-Russian semi-final.

Murray, coming off a six-week layoff because of an injured wrist, will go for his fifth title of the season. Youzhny was through to his third final in his last four tournaments. He was runner-up at the Japan Open and won his hometown title at the Kremlin Cup.

“He’s played very well the last couple of months,” said Murray, who won their only prior meeting at St Petersburg in 2007. “It’s going to be difficult, he played well today.”

Murray struggled with his serve, but took advantage of Verdasco’s own shaky service game to break for 4-3 in the first set and hold on.

Verdasco, the 2004 champion, started the second set with a break of his own in the first game and evened the set score when Murray double-faulted.

In the deciding set, Murray made the decisive break for 4-2 against the Spaniard.

“I managed to stay strong because he hit some really big winners and put some pressure on me,” Murray said.

Davydenko led Youzhny by a set and 4-4, but lost the next two games to be forced into a third set.

Then 23rd-ranked Youzhny broke Davydenko’s first two service games and went on to clinch victory.
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