MUNICH, May 4: Rainer Schuttler kept German hopes alive at the 400,000-dollar Munich Open Saturday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Czech Radek Stepanek to reach the finals.

Schuttler was the last hope for home fans after second seed Tommy Haas had to quit his quarterfinal match 24 hours earlier when a back problem flared.

Haas’ trainer David Ayme said Saturday that the player was feeling better after massage and a visit with Munich doctors. “But we have to wait and see about Rome, we hope he can play,” said the American.

Haas, seventh seed at the Foro Italico, was drawn Saturday to begin next week’s Masters Series event against Max Mirnyi of Belarus.

In the second Munich semifinal, Russian teenager Mikhail Youzhny was facing sixth-seeded Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui on a cloudy day which began with rain at the Iphitos club.

Schuttler’s match began 30 minutes late as light rain died out and the 26-year-old German wasted little time in getting started on court.

The unseeded favourite broke in the fifth game, but found himself immediately back on serve when the 23-year-old Stepanek broke back to love with a passing shot down the line.

Schuttler, champion last year at Shanghai and finalist a week later in Hong Kong.—Reuters