Youzhny Turns Up Heat On London Rivals

© Getty ImagesMikhail Kukushkin also reached the 2009 Moscow semi-finals.

Russian Mikhail Youzhny continues to turn up the heat on his Barclays ATP World Tour Finals rivals, advancing Friday to the semi-finals of the St. Petersburg Open with a fighting 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(6) win over Romanian Victor Hanescu. Currently No. 10 in the year-to-date ATP Rankings, Youzhny would move to within 140 points of No. 9 Fernando Verdasco should he go on to win the title.

Youzhny has never before qualified for the elite eight-man season finale, but he can now see No. 8 Andy Roddick and No. 7 David Ferrer in his sights. Should be win the St. Petersburg title, Youzhny would be move to 3,010 points, just 295 points behind Roddick (3,305) and 315 points behind Ferrer (3,325).

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With 500 points on offer next week for the winner of Basel and Valencia, and then 1000 points awaiting the winner of Paris in the final week of the season, Youzhny has every opportunity to qualify.

Youzhny will next play countryman Dmitry Tursunov, who advanced to his first semi-final of the year when he defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 6-2.  The Russian, who underwent his third ankle surgery in February, last appeared in an ATP World Tour semi-final at Eastbourne in June 2009, when he went on to win the title.

Kazakhstani Mikhail Kukushkin and Illya Marchenko of the Ukraine appear to have a liking for Russian soil after they reached the St. Petersburg Open semi-finals on Friday. Both players advanced to their first ATP World Tour semi-finals at the Kremlin Cup in October 2009.

Kukushkin saved eight of 11 break points to overcome Serbia’s Davis Cup hero and third seed Janko Tipsarevic 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and 39 minutes. Tipsarevic, who finished runner-up at the UNICEF Open (l. to Stakhovsky) in June, dropped to a 24-21 match record on the season. He will next compete at the Davidoff Swiss Indoors in Basel next week.

The 22-year-old Kukushkin, with a 15-8 season mark, will challenge Marchenko on Saturday. Marchenko defeated Benjamin Becker of Germany 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in one hour and 52 minutes. The World No. 99 improved to an 18-19 match record on the season.