Safin homes in on final

Safin had to dig deep for victory on Saturday

Defending champion Marat Safin beat Yevgeny Kafelnikov in a thrilling semi-final at the St Petersburg Open.

Safin, in desperate need of a win to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for the season-ending Masters Cup event, won 6-7 6-2 6-4 in a see-saw battle which lasted two hours and 33 minutes.

He meets the unseeded German Rainer Schuettler in Sunday's final.

Number two seed Kafelnikov wasted seven set points against Safin before taking the opening set in a tie-breaker 7-4.

I fought like a dog

Marat Safin

But third seed Safin levelled at one set all and then scored a decisive break in the 10th game of the final set.

"I didn't really serve well," said Safin despite firing 19 aces.

"I had to play with my second serve for most of the time and Kafelnikov really returned well.

"It was a great match. I am proud of myself."

Schuettler beat French qualifier Michael Llodra 6-3 6-4 in the other semi-final.

At the Stockholm Open, Finland's Jarkko Nieminen ended Sweden's hopes of a home win on Saturday with a 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 win over fifth-seeded Thomas Enqvist

Nieminen, ready to embark on a full-time career in tennis after completing post-high school exams in May, has become only the second Finn to reach a top-level tournament final.

Jarkko Nieminen takes on Sjeng Schalken in the final

The 20-year-old qualifier will face sixth-seed Sjeng Schalken from Holland in Sunday's final.

Schalken knocked out Argentine Guillermo Canas 6-4 6-2 in the second semi-final.

Enqvist was Nieminen's second Swedish victim following his quarter-final win over holder and third seed Thomas Johansson.

He also beat number seven Younes El Aynaoui in the second round.

"It feels great to be in a final. I've not taken it all in yet, I'm just trying to get ready for the next match," said Nieminen.

"Of course I have intentions to try and win this final, but all players are so good now, it is impossible to make predictions."