Former world number one Marat Safin moved one win away from a first title in almost four years on Saturday when he reached the Kremlin Cup final without hitting a ball.

The Russian was handed a walkover when his 21-year-old German opponent Mischa Zverev withdrew from their semifinal through illness.

On Sunday, seventh-seeded Safin, whose last title came at the 2005 Australian Open, will face compatriot Igor Kunitsyn, who saw off French veteran Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3.

Kunitsyn, 26, and currently 71 in the ATP rankings, took the opening set in 52 minutes while, in the second, Kunitsyn, who was playing his first ATP semifinal, broke twice for a commanding 5-2 lead.

The 35-year-old Santoro saved two match points but then Kunitsyn produced enjoyed a third break to record his second win over Santoro in three head-to head meetings.

"I knew that he (Santoro) would battle for every point and was ready for it," Kunitsyn said. "We met twice this year and I knew how to play against him and my plan worked.

"It's great to play at home in the final and tomorrow I will do my best not to miss my chance to win in front of my home crowd."

In the women's section of the joint $2.4-million ATP and WTA tournament, world number one, and top seed, Jelena Jankovic of Serbia battled back from a set down to reach the final, beating third seed Elena Dementieva of Russia.

Jankovic, who is seeking her season's fourth title and third in a row here, won 0-6, 6-1, 6-0 in one hour 44 minutes to record her sixth win over Olympic champion Dementieva in their ninth head-to-head meeting and set up a meeting with home hope Vera Zvonareva.

"I wasn't playing bad in the first set, I was playing my game," Jankovic said. "But Elena had answers for all of my shots. She was always on the ball. I couldn't do anything. She was too good.

"But I tried to find an opportunity. I was waiting for my chance trying to find my rhythm. Finally, I had the initiative."

Dementieva broke her rival throughout the opening set to take it at love in 35 minutes.

The 23-year-old Serbian then enjoyed a pair of breaks in the second set to go to 4-0 before a further break saw her level at one set all after one hour 10 minutes on court.

In the deciding set, US Open finalist Jankovic underlined her domination in taking it at love to reach her sixth final of the season.

Dementieva said: "The first set was one of my very best performances in recent times.

"Unfortunately, she has a phenomenal defence. I felt that she could control not only a tennis court but an entire football field."

In Sunday's final, Jankovic will face seventh-seeded Zvonareva, who beat compatriot Dinara Safina, the second seed, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) in one hour 31 minutes.

AFP

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