Del Potro sets up Erste Bank finals clash with unheralded Slovenian

Vienna, Austria (4E Sports) – Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro secured his spot in the championship round of the 2012 Erste Bank Open after surviving Luxemburg Giles Muller 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in two hard-fought sets Saturday at Wiener Stadthalle.

Del Potro, the 2011 Austria runner-up, came up with the big points in the two scintillating tie-breakers to book his fifth finals in the ATP Tour this year.

The former US Open champion will next face unheralded Slovenian netter Grega Zemlja, who stunned no.2 seed Janko Tipsarevic 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 in a three-set thriller.

Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga set up a finals showdown at the 2012 Stockholm Open after overcoming their respective opponents Saturday.

Berdych cruised past Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-2 while Tsonga led Marcos Baghdatis into their tiebreaker 5-2 before the Cypriot retired due to undisclosed injury.

On the women’s side, Caroline Wozniacki and Sam Stosur both survived three-set thrillers to arrange a finals duel at the 2012 Kremlin Cup.

Wozniacki bested Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6 (4)-7, 6-4 while Stosur fended off Ana Ivanovic 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The Danish former world’s no.1 is gunning for her second title of the year.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams showcased her old form to subdue Andrea Petkovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in the semis of the 2012 Luxemburg Open.

Williams, without a title this year, will try to end the drought against Romania’s Monica Niculescu. Niculescu defeated Daniela Hantuchuva 6-1, 6-3 in other semis match.

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