Ninth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine is looking for his fourth career ATP World Tour title, the second of the season, while the other three semi-finalists are trying to break through for their first career ATP World Tour title.

In the first semi-final on Friday, Stakhovsky will meet No. 12 seed and top Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker, who is making his second ATP World Tour semi-final appearance of the season. They are meeting for the first time.

In the second semi-final, No. 10 seed Viktor Troicki of Serbia takes on No. 15 Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan for the first time in an ATP World Tour main draw. They played in the final round of qualifying in Moscow in 2007 and Troicki won in straight sets. Troicki is trying to reach his third ATP World Tour final of his career (’08 Washington, ’09 Bangkok) and Istomin his first final.

FIRST-TIME ATP WINNERS – If Stakhovsky does not win the title, then there will be a first-time winner for the fourth time on the ATP World Tour this year. The first-time winners are: John Isner (Auckland), Ernests Gulbis (Delray Beach) and Andrey Golubev (Hamburg).

FRIDAY SEMI-FINAL HEAD-TO-HEADS – In Order of Play

Stadium

(9) Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) vs (12) Thiemo de Bakker (NED)    First Meeting

Stakhovsky FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
W: s-Hertogenbosch (d Tipsarevic); QF: Nice (l Verdasco)
YTD W-L: 20-18 (11-9 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: January 6, 1986
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 47

• Stakhovsky, 24, is 3-0 in his career in ATP World Tour semi-final matches and each time he went on to capture the title…In June, he captured his third career ATP World Tour title, defeating Serb Janko Tipsarevic in the grass court final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands…Afterwards broke into the Top 50 for the first time at No. 47 on June 21…He reached a career-high No. 46 on July 5
• The Kiev native enters with a 20-18 match record on the season, including 11-8 on hard courts…His 20 wins has already surpassed his previous career-high set last year (16-14)…Has a 12-5 tie-break record this season, including 4-0 this week…He beat top seed Marcos Baghdatis 57 61 76(4) in QFs
• Two weeks ago in Toronto he defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet 75 61 before falling to No. 7 and Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych 62 64 in the second round…Last week in Cincinnati he lost to American Andy Roddick 64 67(5) 61 in the first round
• His previous best result this season was the quarter-finals in Nice (l. to Verdasco) in May prior to Roland Garros
• The Ukraine native resides in Bratislava, Slovakia and two of his three ATP World Tour titles have come indoors – in Zagreb (d. Ljubicic) as a lucky loser in 2008 and last year in St. Petersburg (d. Zeballos)
• Has finished in the Top 75 the past two seasons, a personal year-end best No. 60 in 2009 and No. 74 in ‘08
 
de Bakker FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
SF: Barcelona (l Soderling); QF: Chennai (l Tipsarevic)
YTD W-L: 24-16 (14-9 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: September 19, 1988
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 53

• de Bakker, 21, the top Dutchman enters with a 24-16 match record on the season, including 14-9 on hard courts…He is ranked No .53 and reached a personal-best No. 40 on July 19 …Last week lost to Roddick 76(4) 64 in the second round of Cincinnati
• In April, he advanced to his first ATP World Tour semi-final in Barcelona where he defeated No. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before losing to No. 8 Robin Soderling in three sets…He is trying to become the first Dutchman to reach an ATP World Tour final since Raemon Sluiter in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Becker) in June 2009…The last Dutch winner was Martin Verkerk in Amersfoort in July 2004
• He turned in a Grand Slam-best third round at Wimbledon where he beat Santiago Giraldo 16-14 in fifth set and John Isner in second round before falling to Paul-Henri Mathieu in four sets
• He opened the year with his first career ATP World Tour quarter-final in Chennai (l. to Tipsarevic)
• He fell in 1st Rd. at Australian Open (l. to Roddick) then reached 2nd Rd. at Rotterdam (l. to Monfils)
• In 2009, he was first Dutchman to finish in Top 100 at No. 98 since Raemon Sluiter was No. 82 in 2004…He won four Challenger titles and rose over 150 ranking positions from previous year
• Was year-end No. 1 junior in 2006, highlighted by Wimbledon junior title
• Working with former Richard Krajicek mentor Rohan Goetzke, who is the technical director of Dutch Tennis Federation

(10) Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs (15) Denis Istomin (UZB) First ATP Meeting
Other Meeting:
07 Moscow Q (Russia) Hard Q3 Viktor Troicki 6-4 6-3

Troicki FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
SF: Doha (l Nadal); QF: Zagreb (l Berrer); Belgrade (l Wawrinka)
YTD W-L: 25-23 (15-12 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: February 10, 1986
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 45

• Troicki, 24, the No. 3 Serbian (behind No. 3 Djokovic, No. 42 Tipsarevic) enters with a 25-23 match record on the season (15-12 on hard) and this is his best result since the opening week of the year in Doha where he lost to No. 2 Nadal in semi-finals
• This week has held serve 31 of 34 games (91%), saving eight of 11 break points, and hitting 26 aces
• He also reached the quarter-finals in Zagreb in February (l. to Berrer) and in his hometown of Belgrade (l. to Wawrinka) in May
• He is a member of his country’s Davis Cup team that will play in the semi-finals next month (vs. Czech Republic)…In March, he defeated John Isner in four sets in opening rubber and last month lost to Marin Cilic in second rubber although Serbia won the tie
• In 2009, finished a year-end best No. 29 with a 32-29 match record, highlighted by his second career ATP World Tour final in Bangkok (l. to Simon)
• In 2008, reached his first ATP final in Washington with first Top 10 win over No. 9 Roddick before falling to del Potro

Istomin FastFacts:
2010 Highlights:
SF: San Jose (l Verdasco); Eastbourne (l Garcia-Lopez); QF: Hamburg (l Golubev)
YTD W-L: 25-19 (13-9 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: September 7, 1986
South African Airways 2010 ATP Ranking: 46

• Istomin, 23, the top player from Uzbekistan enters with a career-best 25-19 match record on the season (13-9 on hard) and ranks a personal-best No. 46 this week
• Leads the tournament this week with 33 aces and No. 7 in first serve points won (76%)
• This is his third ATP World Tour semi-final of the season (career)…In February he reached his first  semi-final in San Jose (l. to Verdasco) and in June advanced to that round in Eastbourne (l. to Garcia-Lopez)…Last month reached the quarter-finals in Hamburg (l. to eventual champ Golubev)
• He is playing in New Haven for the second straight year (l. to L. Mayer in 1st Rd. in ’09)
• Last week in Cincinnati sprained his right ankle vs. Federer in 2nd Rd. and retired trailing 2-5 in first set

• In January he reached the third round at the Australian Open (d. Chardy, Berrer, l. to No. 3 Djokovic) and at the last Grand Slam at Wimbledon also reached third round (d. Wawrinka, Schuettler, l. to eventual runner-up Berdych, all in five sets)
• Born in Orenburg, Russia and used to reside in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and now lives in Moscow
• Father, Oleg, is a businessman; mother, Klaudiya Istomina, coaches her son... Suffered a leg injury in a car accident traveling to a Futures event in Tashkent in April 2001, underwent surgery which required as many as 80 stitches and spent three months in the hospital...Did not touch a racquet for two years, resuming training in April 2003
• Has never finished in Top 100 and last year was No. 102 with a 16-18 match record

US Open OPENERS  -- Here is a look at the first round opponents of each player at the US Open:

Stakhovsky (vs. Peter Luczak, defeated him this week in 2nd Rd. 26 76 76)
de Bakker (vs. Qualifier)

Troicki (vs. No. 3 Novak Djokovic)
Istomin (vs. Maximo Gonzalez)

POTENTIAL FINAL HEAD-TO-HEADS

Thiemo de Bakker (NED) vs Denis Istomin (UZB)       First Meeting

Thiemo de Bakker (NED) vs Viktor Troicki (SRB)  Troicki Leads 1-0
10 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome  Clay R64 Viktor Troicki 3-6 6-1 1-0 ret

Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) vs Denis Istomin (UZB)  First ATP Meeting
Other Meetings:
07 Moscow Q (Russia) Hard -- Denis Istomin 7-6(2) 7-6(3)
07 Kuala Lumpur CH (Malaysia) Carpet R32 Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 6-1
08 Cherkassy CH (Ukraine) Clay SF Denis Istomin 6-7(5)  7-6(7) 7-6(3)
09 Tashkent CH (Uzbekistan) Hard QF Denis Istomin 6-4 7-5

Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) vs Viktor Troicki (SRB)  Tied 1-1
08 Zagreb (Croatia) Hard R16 Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6(7) 3-6 6-4
09 Zagreb (Croatia) Hard QF Viktor Troicki 6-3   6-2