Nalbandian destroys Nieminen to gain Stockholm title shot (1st Lead)

Stockholm - David Nalbandian polished his indoor form in anticipation of next month's Davis Cup final with Spain as he crushed two-time finalist Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-1 to reach the final of the Stockholm Open on Saturday. The Argentine winner, top-seeded during his debut week at the Kungligahallen, spent just 64 minutes in advancing into his third final of 2008 after winning Buenos Aires in February and finishing runner-up in Acapulco a week later. 'It's not easy for Jarkko when I'm playing like this, I was hitting winners everywhere. I like indoors, the conditions are perfect,' Nalbandian said of his rout. 'I really played good today, like I've done all week. I hope to keep going like this tomorrow as well.' Nalbandian, who says he doesn't care if he qualifies for not for the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai will await an opponent as Japanese teenaged sensation Kei Nishikori faces former Stockholm finalist Robin Soderling, seeded fourth at home. He has won four out of five against Soderling and has never faced the 18-year-old, 77th-ranked Nishikori. Nalbandian stands a victory away from his third indoor title in two seasons after sweeping the Madrid and Paris Masters titles last autumn. But even though that effort put in him as an alternate to Shanghai, he skipped the trip. He says that he is almost certain to do the same even if he qualifies for the eight-man wrap-up event, where he currently stands on provisional seventh place with three weeks of the regular ATP season to go. Nalbandian will be competing in his 17th career final and was the first Argentine in the Stockholm semis since Guillermo Canas seven years ago. Nieminen got no closer to the title at what he considers his home event after losing finals in 2001 and 2006. The Finn, ranked 33rd ended with a double-fault disappointment. Nalbandian now stands 33-13 on the season.