JOIN USFrenchman Gael Monfils and Juergen Melzer of Austria won their semifinals on Friday to advance to the final of the Winston-Salem Open, the last men's warm-up event before the US Open, starting on Monday.
Monfils qualified for his 19th ATP career final with a 7-6 (11-9), 6-3 win over Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov while Melzer defeated American Sam Querrey 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.
Both men struggled before wearing down their opponents. Monfils, who was battling pain in his hip, lost the first four games of his match with Dolgopolov and saved three set points to win the opening set tiebreaker.
"It's very good for my confidence. It was good to be down two breaks and to win the set," said Monfils, who is chasing a fifth career title.
Melzer is also chasing a fifth title, and his first since Memphis last year, after surviving a determined fight back from Querrey.
Kvitova to face Halep
At New Haven, former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova stormed into the final with a ruthless 6-0, 6-1 win over Klara Zakopalova on Friday.
Kvitova showed no mercy against her Czech Fed Cup team mate, racing to victory in just 50 minutes, to remain on course to defend the title she won in Connecticut last year. Kvitova's opponent in Saturday's final will be Romania's Simona Halep, who upset four-times New Haven Open winner Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-2, 7-5.
For Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011, Saturday's final provides her with the chance to claim her 11th career title and her second this year.