Hewitt reached his first tour final since Queen's last year

Australian Hewitt proved too consistent for his Russian opponent and clinched victory in 81 minutes.

He will now play Austrian Juergen Melzer, who came from 5-3 down in the final set to beat unseeded Russian teenager Evgeny Korolev 6-7 6-2 7-6.

Melzer held his nerve in the tie-break decider and clinched victory on his third match point.

Safin was arguably the better player in the first set against Hewitt but the Australian's doggedness from the baseline began to wear him down.

A sloppy 12th game handed Hewitt the crucial break and the first set and once he had broken for 3-1 in the second, the fight had gone from Safin.

Hewitt sealed his place in the final when Safin dumped a forehand return into the net.

I think Marat's ball striking was as good as I've seen it in a long time Lleyton Hewitt

Hewitt, beaten by American James Blake in the final 12 months ago, was delighted with his form having overcome a hamstring injury in his early matches.

"My last two matches have been pretty good. The first two I was more mentally worried about my hamstring," he said.

"Once I got through those I feel I have really stepped it up.

"Marat came at me right from the start. I think his ball striking was as good as I've seen it in a long time, he was hitting the ball very clean and heavy."

Fourth seed Melzer said he would have preferred to play Safin in the final and added: "I am 0-5 against Lleyton, I think.

"But it doesn't matter who I play because I am in the final and am very happy."

Hewitt has reached his first final since he won at Queen's Club last June.

He added: "I don't think the head-to-head to will count a whole heap but I still feel if I go out and execute the way I want to, then hopefully things will go my way."