David Nalbandian will play Marcos Baghdatis for the Legg Mason Classic title after both came through their semi-finals in Washington.
Cypriot and Argentine both reach their first final on American soil
David Nalbandian will play Marcos Baghdatis for the Legg Mason Classic title after both came through their semi-finals in Washington on Saturday.
Eighth seed Baghdatis progressed after hobbling across the line against surprise package Xavier Malisse.
The Cypriot needed lengthy treatment after rolling his ankle in the second set but was eventually able to continue and rounded out a 6-2 7-6 winner.
Later, Nalbandian continued his comeback quest in some style with a 6-2 6-2 dismantling of fourth seed Marin Cilic.
The first semi-final ended in scrappy fashion with two consecutive breaks of serve leading to a tie-break, which Baghdatis edged after almost giving up a commanding lead.
He had quickly asserted control over the lengthy baseline rallies that characterised the match, winning the first set with ease.
The second set was a tighter affair, with the main drama coming when Baghdatis' awkward fall led to a five-minute delay.
Problem
Malisse failed to take advantage of the problem, critically dropping his serve in the 11th game to hand Baghdatis a chance to serve for the match.
But the unseeded Belgian then did well to force a break of his own and keep hopes of a final berth alive by sending the second set into a breaker.
However, his good work was undone when he gifted Baghdatis a seemingly decisive lead, but the former Australian Open finalist squandered three-match points before finally securing victory after a 26-stroke final point.
After the match, Baghdatis described his injury as "a bit of a strain, but I hope it will be fine for (the final) tomorrow".
He added: "I worked on my fitness. I had to improve my physical condition, stay out of injuries, and that's ... why I worked very hard. I'm fit now, I'm healthy, and that's the most important thing."
In the second semi, Croat Cilic broke Nalbandian's serve to open the match but started spraying his shots and dropped the first set.
Nalbandian, who is contesting his first tournament since April after suffering a hamstring injury, converted five of eight break-points to defeat Cilic for the second time in two meetings.
Brilliant
According to Cilic, the difference between the two was Nalbandian's brilliant return of serve.
"I could count on my hand the number of returns he missed from the backhand side," he said. "He was really, really good. Consistent. He was putting a lot of pressure on me."
"I couldn't get any free points."
Sunday's final will be the first in the United States for both players, with Baghdatis holding a 3-1 edge against Nalbandian.
"He's a good player," the unseeded Argentine said of his next opponent. "We know each other. We have a pretty similar game from the baseline. I have to keep believing in my game.
"I'm playing very good right now."
