BASEL, Switzerland – Roger Federer will take on Novak Djokovic in the final of the Swiss Indoors as he tries for a fourth straight title in his hometown tournament.
Djokovic saved three match points before rallying to beat Radek Stepanek 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-2 in their semifinal Saturday. Federer then beat childhood friend and fellow Basel-native Marco Chiudinelli 7-6 (7), 6-3 in the other.
“Obviously the home crowd will be behind him,” Djokovic said of playing Federer in the St. Jakobshalle – where the 28-year-old Swiss was once a ballboy.
The third-ranked Djokovic trailed 5-4 in the second set and was 0-40 down before reeling off five straight points to win the game.
“I wouldn’t say necessarily it was my good shots that prevented the loss. It was luck only,” Djokovic said. “I just tried to get some first serves in and at least get that advantage. On this (hard-court) surface, it’s crucial.”
Djokovic’s ATP Tour-leading 70th win this year carried him into his ninth final, also best on tour. He is 3-5 in title matches in 2009.
Chiudinelli was playing in the first semifinal of his injury-affected career, and earned a place in the main draw of next week’s Paris Masters.
Ranked No. 884 a year ago, Chiudinelli will be near the top 50 when the new list is published Monday.

Italy storms to 2-0 lead
Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone cruised to straight set victories to send Italy into a 2-0 lead in the Fed Cup final against the United States Saturday.
Pennetta had no trouble seeing off Alexa Glatch 6-3, 6-1, while Schiavone came through 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 against teenager Melanie Oudin as the US struggled without the Williams sisters.
World No. 1 Serena pulled out while Venus was not selected.
Glatch, 20, may have won her only previous encounter against Pennetta but here the gulf in class between the two, who are separated by 121 places in the world rankings, was obvious.
World No. 11 Pennetta admitted the emotion of the occasion had almost got to her.
Pennetta rounded off victory by holding serve to love as she avenged her embarrassing 6-1, 6-1 defeat to the American in the first round at Roland Garros.
World No. 16 Schiavone made the most of a rain break to overcome her plucky opponent, who had already beaten two former world number ones in Grand Slams this year.
Pennetta will now have the first chance to wrap up a second Fed Cup title for Italy when she plays Oudin on Sunday before Schiavone tackles Glatch.

Bartoli-Rezai final
French top seed Marion Bartoli will face compatriot Aravane Rezai Sunday in the Bali Tournament of Champions’ title clash.
Top seed Bartoli survived a late fight by Japanese veteran Kimiko Date Krumm to win their semifinal 6-1, 6-3 Saturday.
Later, Rezai had a smoother ride against Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, beating her 6-2, 6-3 in 64 minutes.
Bartoli has won both encounters against Rezai, the latest just over a month ago in the Tokyo second round.

It’s Youzhny vs. Murray
Second seed Nikolay Davydenko squandered a one-set lead to lose 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to unseeded Russian compatriot Mikhail Youzhny in the semifinals of the Valencia Open Saturday.
In the second semifinals, Andy Murray of Brtain defeated Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.
World No. 7 Davydenko remains in a strong position to claim one of two remaining places at the World Tour Finals later this month but could have clinched his birth in London by winning the indoor hard court title in Valencia.
“It was a good game, very tough, but I was a little bit lucky,” Youzhny said. – Agencies