Robin Soderling edged closer to a second Lyon title by beating local favourite Gilles Simon on Saturday.
Soderling squares off against Benneteau for Grand Prix crown
Swede Robin Soderling moved closer to a second Lyon title when he reached the final by beating local favourite Gilles Simon 5-7 6-3 6-3 on Saturday.
Seventh seed Soderling, who won the indoor event in 2004, will face unseeded Julien Benneteau in Sunday's final after the Frenchman upset compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 7-5.
"He's been playing very well this week," said Soderling of Benneteau. "I lost to him in Roland Garros this year, so I expect another difficult match."
Soderling, who conquered top seed Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals, relied on his devastating forehand and showed more composure at crucial moments to down fourth seed Simon.
Simon came into Lyon on the back of a career-defining week in the Madrid Masters - going all the way to the final before losing a close contest with British number one Andy Murray.
And the first set of this match was tight until the 11th game, which Simon won to love to capture his opponent's serve before wrapping up the set.
Soderling reacted by breaking the Frenchman straight away in the second set but Simon broke back immediately.
The Swede then received treatment for a blister under his left foot, but the 24-year-old put the injury to the back of his mind as he broke Simon again to move 3-1 up and stayed on top until taking the second set courtesy of an unforced error.
Another early break set up Soderling in the decisive set. He then remained in control until earning two match points on Simon's serve. The Frenchman saved the first but Soderling sealed victory with a powerful forehand volley on the second.
Awkward
Soderling, who will go for his third career title in his ninth ATP tour final, admitted his awkward opponent caused him problems on court.
"I have been playing better and better this week," Soderling said.
"Today it was tougher against Simon. He has a peculiar way of playing which means you play less well (against him)."
Simon, who has three titles this year, revealed his recent run has left him feeling fatigued, but the 23-year-old denied that had anything to do with Saturday's defeat.
"I had chances at the start of the second set but lost my serve a bit stupidly," Simon said. "I am a bit tired physically and mentally, but that is not why I lost."
Simon has climbed into the top eight of the Champions Race this week, and the Frenchman currently occupies the last qualifying position for the Masters Cup.
And with the final spots to be decided next week at the Paris Masters, Simon knows he requires one more push to make Shanghai.
"There will be a sprint finish," Simon said. "I will have to do better than four or five players."
The second semi-final was tight but Australian Open runner-up Tsonga, seeded third here, damaged his chances with several clumsy unforced errors.
Tsonga lost the first set tiebreak and was broken at the worst possible moment in the second, Benneteau capturing his serve with a crisp volley on match point to make his second final of the season.
