Baghdatis is aiming for his fifth career title

Marcos Baghdatis produced a third-set comeback to beat Denis Istomin 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2) and reach the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

Uzbekistan's Istomin, ranked 46th, raced into a 3-0 lead in the decider but fourth seed Baghdatis recovered and clinched the match in a tie-break.

In Sunday's final, Cypriot Baghdatis faces Serbia's Viktor Troicki, who beat Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-3 6-3.

Victoria Azarenka will take on Maria Kirilenko in the women's final.

World number 19 Baghdatis had started promisingly, breaking the unfancied Istomin in the first game - a feat which ultimately proved sufficient to edge the set.

However, Istomin, 24, prevailed in a second-set tie-break, and thanks to a catalogue of errors from Baghdatis, found himself up a double-break in the third.

606: DEBATE Makiri (Kirilenko's nickname) has yet to win a tier one event in her singles career but this could well change as she storms to the finals of the Kremlin Cup in emphatic style, winning all matches in two sets and allowing all her opponents no more than FOUR games per match! MlleRevers

Baghdatis clawed his way back, although, after assuming a 5-4 lead, failed to convert three match points on Istomin's serve.

The Uzbek, though, had only delayed his 25-year-old opponent's triumph as he dominated the final tie-break to reach his third final of the season - Baghdatis won in Sydney in January by defeating Richard Gasquet but lost to David Nalbandian in Washington in August.

"I had chances in the second set but didn't take them," reflected Baghdatis. "I started the third set really bad but I knew the match was not over. I fought till the end and, fortunately, I won."

Troicki enjoyed a more straightforward passage, breaking Cuevas twice to take the first set, and winning the last three games to secure his first final appearance of the season.

"Pablo played good and it was tough to break him," said Troicki, ranked 43 in the world. "But I returned good and it was the key for my victory."

Azarenka has appeared in three other finals this season

Azarenka enjoyed a 6-3 6-3 semi-final win over Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, while Kirilenko overcame Vera Dushevina 6-1 6-1.

Belarussian Azarenka is chasing her fifth career win and second this year after beating Maria Sharapova in Stanford in July.

The 21-year-old has already qualified for next week's season-ending WTA Tour championships in Doha.

Azarenka saved two break points in the opening game and did not face another one in the rest of the match. She broke the 28th-ranked Sanchez in the sixth game of the first set and in the first and eighth games of the second.

"Sanchez is such a player that you never know what to expect from her," said Azarenka, who lost to the Spaniard twice earlier this season.

"I've chosen the right tactics against her today and didn't allow her to change the rhythm or advance to the net to attack as she likes doing. I've fought for every ball and that was the key to my victory."

Sixth seed Kirilenko wasted little time in imposing herself on her fellow Russian Dushevina, breaking twice in the opening set.

The world number 24 repeated the deed in the second, sealing her victory in one hour 11 minutes.

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