THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev upset No. 11-ranked David Ferrer of Spain 7-5, 7-6 (4) to reach the final of the Malaysian Open on Saturday.
The 41st-ranked Golubev, who ousted top-seeded Robin Soderling in the quarter-finals, will meet Mikhail Youzhny in the final after the fourth seed defeated fellow Russian Igor Andreev 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
"Today was not as perfect as yesterday as I missed a number of easy points," the 23-year-old Golubev said. "But I concentrated point by point and tried to take my chances."
Golubev is seeking his second title of the season after winning in Hamburg in July, but he admitted he faces a tough task against Youzhny, who he has not beaten in three previous meetings.
Youzhny dropped the first set 6-3 but stepped up a gear to book his place in the final. This year, he reached consecutive finals in Rotterdam and Dubai but lost both and only captured his sixth career crown when he won in Munich five months ago.
"It was a tough match but I’m glad I came through in the end," Youzhny said.
A victory in Sunday’s final will help his chances of reaching the ATP World Tour Finals in London next month, where only the top eight players of the year will compete.
Youzhny and Golubev, however, both failed in their doubles bids when they lost in the semifinals. Top-seeded Polish pair Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski defeated Youzhny and Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 6-0, 6-1.
Second-seeded Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic and Michal Mertinak of Slovakia defeated Golubev and Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-4.