Davydenko, Melzer Set Semi-final Showdown; Ferrero's Form Still Hot

© Rene KaramanJuan Carlos Ferrero tries to win second title of the year.

Newly reinstated Top 10 member Nikolay Davydenko won his eighth successive ATP World Tour match by defeating Italian Simone Bolelli 7-6(10), 6-1 Friday to reach the semi-finals of the ATP Studena Croatia Open, an ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament in Umag.

The Russian regained his place in the Top 10 at No. 9 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings after winning five matches to capture his 15th ATP World Tour title in Hamburg last week, defeating Paul-Henri Mathieu in the final.

The 28-year-old Davydenko converted four of 11 break point chances and struck seven aces as he prevailed in one hour and 52 minutes to reach his fourth semi-final of the season, having also reached the last four at Barcelona (l. to Nadal) and Estoril (l. to Blake). The right-hander improved to a 28-8 match record on the season, with 16 of those wins coming since the start of Roland Garros.

Davydenko next meets Austrian Jurgen Melzer, who saved four match points in a 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3 win over Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubicic. Melzer, who let slip a 4-2 lead in the first set, saved his first match point at 4-5 in the second set and three (non consecutive) match points in his following service game at 5-6. In the third set World No. 34 Melzer clinched the decisive break at 3-2 to reach his first ATP World Tour semi-final in more than a year.

Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero also maintained his recent run of good form, by defeating Argentine Maximo Gonzalez 7-5, 6-2. The fifth seed created seven break point opportunities on Gonzalez’s serve and was able to capitalise four times as he sealed victory after one hour and 40 minutes. It marks the best result for Ferrero in three visits to Umag, having previously reached the quarter-finals on his 2005 debut (l. to Coria) and fallen in the first round the following year (l. to Portas).

The 29-year-old Ferrero has brought his South African Airways 2009 ATP Ranking back up to No. 36 after dropping out of the Top 100 in spells earlier in the season. The Spaniard made big strides back up the Rankings after a stellar grass-court swing that saw him reach the semi-finals at London/Queen’s Club and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon – losing to Andy Murray on both occasions. The right-hander also ended a six-year title drought in April at Casablanca (d. Serra).

For a place in his 29th tour-level final, Ferrero will face seventh-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi – who eased past Chile’s Nicolas Massu 6-4, 6-4 in 95 minutes. Seppi capitalised on four of 10 break point opportunities and surrendered just eight points behind his first serve in the pair’s first meeting.

World No. 43 Seppi is through to his second ATP World Tour semi-final of the season, after also reaching the last four at Belgrade (l. to Djokovic) and takes a 2-0 career lead into his clash with Ferrero – whom he defeated most recently on clay at Kitzbuhel in 2007.