Stakhovsky Faces Istomin In New Haven Final

© Getty ImagesSergiy Stakhovsky is chasing his second title of 2010.

Ninth seed Sergiy Stakhovsky dropped 10 points on serve to beat Thiemo de Bakker, the No. 12 seed from The Netherlands, 6-3, 6-4 in 83 minutes on Friday for a place in the Pilot Pen Tennis final.

Stakhovsky will meet No. 15 seed Denis Istomin in Saturday's final. The last Ukraine native to win two ATP World Tour titles in a season was Andrei Medvedev in 1994. Medvedev also won the New Haven title in 1993.

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Stakhovsky did not face a single break point and hit seven aces to record his 21st win of the season. It was his 12th hard-court win. The 24 year old lifted the UNICEF Open title at 's-Hertogenbosch (d. Tipsarevic) in June.

Stakhovsky was delighted to claim his third win in two days, having been forced to play - and win - two matches Thursday as organisers played catch up in response to rain earlier in the week. "I'm alive. I'm here, 17 hours later. [I'm] quite happy," Stakhovsky said. 

"I played one of the best matches I could play in the semis. I think this is the only match I didn't face a break point at all."

All four times Stakhovsky has reached the semi-finals of an ATP World Tour tournament he has gone on to win the title. "I think it means I'm playing better at the end of the tournament. The problem is I can't always get there. I struggle in the beginning."

The 21-year-old de Bakker was appearing in his second ATP World Tour semi-final. In April, he reached the last four at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell (l. to Soderling). He dropped to a 24-17 match record on the season.

Denis Istomin is poised to become the first player from Uzbekistan to win an ATP World Tour title after beating Viktor Troicki 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-2 Friday to reach the final of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament. Istomin, who is coached by his mother Klaudiya, won a critical 22-point tie-break in the first set and then claimed a match-winning break of serve in the sixth game of the third set.

Istomin said that he was delighted to have reached the final after suffering an ankle injury in Cincinnati last week. "I retired in the second round in Cincinnati with an ankle strain and I left it to the last moment to decide to play here. Now I'm in final... it's just like that.

"Every match I win is very important here for the US Open. I need more matches to be at my best. Now I've won four straight matches. It's very good. Good condition for US Open now."

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