MOSCOW – Francesca Schiavone of Italy and Olga Govortsova of Belarus advanced to the final of the dual ATP and WTA Kremlin Cup with straight-sets victories Saturday.
Schiavone, seeded No. 8, beat Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-4, 6-0 to reach her second straight final in as many weeks, while Govortsova ousted Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova 6-2, 6-1 to reach her second career final.
In the men’s section, Janko Tipsarevic will play Mikhail Youzhny in the final.
Tipsarevic of Serbia advanced to his first final by beating Ukrainian qualifier Illya Marchenko 6-1, 6-4, while Youzhny of Russia beat Kazakh qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2, 6-1.
Tipsarevich broke decisively in the seventh game of the second set.
“I tried to change the rhythm and tempo in the match,” Tipsarevich said. “I got a huge boost and confidence in my game once I made the first break. I have no experience of playing in the final – this is my first one. So, I will play it point by point, like any other match.”
Schiavone, the only seed left in the women’s tournament, is 1-10 in WTA Tour finals, winning her only title at the Gastein Ladies in 2007. The 24th-ranked Italian lost to Samantha Stosur of Australia in the final in Osaka, Japan, last Sunday.
Schiavone, runner-up here in 2005, broke Bondarenko decisively in the 10th game of the first set and dominated the second set which she won to love to reach her third final this season.
“I was more aggressive today,” Schiavone said. “At 5-2 she played too good, very good but then I was pushing and took my chance. I think I played better today.”
Schiavone is now 4-2 against Bondarenko, who is ranked No. 36 in the world. Bondarenko won her only title by beating the Italian in the final in Luxembourg in 2006.
After an exchange of breaks, unheralded Govortsova broke Kleybanova two more times in the first set. The 67th-ranked Belarusian was 4-1 up in the second when Kleybanova called for a doctor to have her right shoulder and back massaged.
At 5-2 and 40-15 down on her serve in the seventh game, Kleybanova saved four match points before Govortsova beat her with a forehand cross on the fifth deuce. Govortsova, who is 1-1 against Schiavone, said she would have to play aggressively to beat the Italian.

Baghdatis in final
In Stockholm, home favorite Robin Soderling was forced to withdraw from his Stockholm Open semifinal Saturday, sending Marcos Baghdatis through to the final without the Cypriot having to strike a ball.
Baghdatis will face Olivier Rochus in the final after the Belgian outlasted rising Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.
Soderling, the top seed, was unable to play because of an elbow injury. The world No. 10, who is chasing a spot in the season-ending Masters Cup in London, received treatment for the injury during his quarterfinal win over Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez Thursday.

Bacsinszky-Lisicki final
Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky will on Sunday attempt to win her first WTA tour title when she faces German sixth seed Sabine Lisicki in the final of the 222,000-dollar Luxembourg Open.
Bacsinszky, the world number 70, put out Belgian fifth seed Yanina Wickmayer, last week’s Linz champion, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Lisicki saw off Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) in a 2hr 20min semifinal marathon. – Agencies