Injured Soderling hands Baghdatis a final against Rochus

Oct 24, 2009, 14:16 GMT

Stockholm - Marcos Baghdatis reached his first final in more than two years Saturday as top seed Robin Soderling retired before their Stockholm Open semi-final with a right elbow injury.

The walkover thrust the 2006 Australian Open finalist from Cyprus into the Sunday title match against 87th-ranked Belgian Oliver Rochus, who beat Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-3 in almost 2 hours 30 minutes.

Baghdatis last won a title in Zagreb more than two and a half years ago and will play his first final since summer of that year in Halle, Germany.

Soderling, standing provisional ninth in the race for one of two spots remaining in November's eight-man ATP season finale, had been treated for his elbow problem during his quarter-final win on Friday.

The French Open finalist trails Russian Nikolay Davydenko and Spain's Fernando Verdasco in the spring to the season wrap-up, with six places already secured for London.

Baghdatis, now 23-16 on the season, said it was tough to win on a walkover.

'I'm sorry for Robin, it's not easy to retire, especially when you're playing at home,' he said.

'Obviously I'm happy to get through to the final. I need some points and my ranking is not so good right now.

'I knew it would not have been an easy match for me today. He was the favourite, playing with the home support and indoors. So I'm just happy to get through.'

Rochus lost a lead of two service breaks in the final set against Bellucci, who piled on 17 aces.

The Belgian said he just had to hold on and keep the faith in his game.

'I played a good match, but it was a very strange third set. I lost some concentration in the seventh game. I had to play just point by point. But somehow I managed to win by staying positive and not giving up,' he said.

Baghdatis won the only previous meeting against Rochus in Rome three years ago. dpa bs jb