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Hanescu stuns Wawrinka
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 13 - 07 - 2008

Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka missed his chance for a second Gstaad Open final on Saturday in a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 loss to Victor Hanescu.
The Romanian outsider ranked 80th after several seasons plagued by back injuries, fought back from a break down against the world number 10 in the final set.
Hanescu will have to wait until Sunday to discover his opponent in the final.
Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and seventh seed Igor Andreev of Russia - 2004 finalist here against Roger Federer - were level at a set each, 6-7 (2/7), 7-5 when play was suspended for the day because of rain. Hanescu will look to capture his first ATP title and become the first Romanian to win the Gstaad title since Ilie Nastase in 1973.
In two previous matches on the Gstaad clay, Wawrinka, who reached two finals last year in Stuttgart and Vienna, has needed three sets to advance.
“I missed my chances, this is very disappointing,” said Wawrinka, who will now have to resurrect his form beginning in just over a week at the Montreal Masters. “When I had the lead I was unable to maintain my level.”
Hanescu, who last played a final in September at home in Bucharest, said his goal now after several seasons of back problems is to “stay healthy”. “I hope to finish inside the top 100 this season.”
Robredo-Berdych final
Third seed Tommy Robredo battled back from a set down to oust holder David Ferrer in an all-Spanish semifinal at the Swedish Open on Saturday.
He now meets Czech Tomas Berdych in Sunday's final.
Robredo, vying for his second title on the Swedish clay having won here in 2006, outran top seed Ferrer in the deciding set to win 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 in two hours, eight minutes.
Earlier, fourth-seeded 2005 finalist Berdych beat second seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Del Potro to meet Gasquet
In Stuttgart, Juan Martin del Potro defeated eighth-seeded Argentine compatriot Eduardo Schwank 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's semifinals of the Mercedes Cup and will play his first career final against Richard Gasquet of France.
Gasquet, seeded second and the highest-ranked player at No. 15, overcame another Argentine, Agustin Calleri, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.
The Frenchman led 5-2 in the first set but allowed Calleri to come back and win the tiebreaker. Struggling with a sore right shoulder, Calleri had no challenge left when he again fell behind 5-2 in the second.
Gasquet advanced to his first final of the year, after making only one quarterfinal earlier in the season. In his only previous match against del Potro, Gasquet won in two sets at last year's Masters event in Indian Wells.
Del Potro rode his good serve to beat Schwank, who was in his first career ATP semifinal.
Spadea, Santoro in semis
American Vince Spadea was at his best when he needed to be Friday, beating Austrian Alexander Peya, 7-6 (3), 7-5, to advance to the semifinals at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
Spadea will face defending champion Fabrice Santoro on Saturday, after 1989 French Open champion Michael Chang is inducted into the Hall of Fame during afternoon ceremonies. Santoro defeated Ivan Navarro, 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Prakash Amritraj plays seventh-seeded Frank Dancevic, Canada's top player, in the other semifinal Saturday.
Garrigues in last 4
Four-time champion Anabel Medina Garrigues stayed on track for another Palermo International title by beating eighth-seeded Tathiana Garbin 6-0, 3-6, 6-0 in the quarterfinals Friday.
Top-seeded Flavia Pennetta routed Georgian qualifier Margalita Chaknashvili 6-1, 6-1.
Also, No. 5 Sara Errani advanced when Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain retired due to a finger injury with Errani leading 4-1 in the first set; and No. 7 Mariya Koryttseva beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (4), 6


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