September 17, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 23, 1427

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BEIJING, Sept 16: Fourth seed Mario Ancic extended his remarkable comeback from injury on Saturday with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 semi-final victory over South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik at the China Open.

The 22-year-old Croatian, who returned to action this week after missing two months with an injured knee, will meet third seed Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, a 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 winner over Thai Paradorn Srichaphan, in Sunday's final.

Eighth seed Lee knocked out Ancic's top-seeded compatriot Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter-finals on Friday and another upset looked on the cards when he twice broke the world number 12 to win the first set.

The 30-year-old Lee has been playing well above the standard expected from a world number 63 this week and pushed Ancic hard in an entertaining duel, studded with lengthy rallies and top-drawer winners.

Ancic clawed his way back into the contest with a break in the fourth game of the second set before battling through seven deuces to hold serve in the fifth.

Lee then gave up a second service game to effectively concede the second set and was forced to relinquish another in the first game of the third.

The tall Ancic, who has become something of a crowd favourite in Beijing this week, was on the front foot from then on and secured his place in the final when Lee went wide with a forehand.

Baghdatis looked to have a much easier path to the final when he broke sixth seed Paradorn in the fifth game with a beautiful crosscourt winner and lost just one more point in the set.

A change of shirt seemed to galvanise the Thai, however, and he looked a different player in the second set, whipping winners across the net and taking the solitary break he needed to send the match into a decider.

The third set was a thriller with both players regularly forced to defend their serves through a string of deuces.

Paradorn then gifted his opponent three match points only to save them all but the Cypriot was not to be denied when presented with three more two games later, winning the match when the Thai found the net at the end of a marathon rally.

Results:

Semi-finals: 3-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) beat 6-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; 4-Mario Ancic (Croatia) beat 8-Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

DAVENPORT UPSET

DENPASAR (Indonesia): Svetlana Kuznetsova will face Marion Bartoli in the final of the Bali International after retaining her unbeaten record at the event with a 7-6, 7-6 win over defending champion Lindsay Davenport on Saturday.

Sixth seed Bartoli of France upset second seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 in the other semi-final.

Kuznetsova, seeded number one in a tour event for the first time in her career, is only the second player this year to earn 50 singles victories, behind Justine Henin-Hardenne who has 54.

But she had to fight hard to reach her fourth final of the year.

Third seed Davenport broke at love to lead 4-3 in the opening set but Kuznetsova immediately broke back with a winning forehand and went on to claim the tiebreak 7-4.

Davenport also claimed the advantage in the second set, breaking with a winning return to lead 4-2. But, serving for the set, she was broken to love at 5-3, and Kuznetsova went on to break again to lead 6-5 when a frustrated Davenport made a forehand error.

It was then the Russian's turn to surrender her lead, as Davenport broke to take the match to a second tiebreak, losing 7-5.

Davenport failed to fire on her serve, hitting five double-faults, while Kuznetsova ran well and came up with nine aces.

Bartoli, who began 2006 by winning the Auckland title, pressured Schnyder by coming forward and striking some fine volleys, as well as hitting her groundstrokes hard and deep. But she played at such a furious pace that she almost paid a heavy price in the second set.

After she had built a 3-1 lead she lost 12 of of the next 14 points as she began to cramp. But after she held serve in a lengthy game at 4-3 Bartoli broke to love when Schnyder netted a smash, and then served out the match.

Results:

Semi-finals: 6-Marion Bartoli (France) beat 2-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 6-4, 6-4; 1-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 3-Lindsay Davenport (US) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5).—Reuters