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.
USA
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