ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic took seven match points to beat fellow Croatian Mario Ancic 7-6 (2), 6-4 and reach his third consecutive Zagreb Indoors final on Friday.
In the other semifinal, 209th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine defeated Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-4, 6-4 and became the first lucky loser from qualifying to make an ATP final since Sweden's Nicklas Kulti at 1999 Halle.
Stakhovsky slotted into the main draw after Michael Llodra, last week's Rotterdam winner, withdrew.
"It's like a dream," Stakhovsky said, adding he will send a text message to Llodra to thank him for withdrawing.
Ljubicic , the 2006 champion, went game for game with Ancic until the tiebreaker, when Ljubicic swept to 5-0 and won it 7-2.
In the second set, he made the decisive break in the fifth game.
Ljubicic, ranked 25th, will be playing for his ninth career title. Stakhovsky will play in his first final.
Stakhovsky did not face a single break point against Bolelli and conceded only a dozen points on serve. This week he's beaten No. 2-seeded Ivo Karlovic and No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic.
The last time a lucky loser won an ATP title was at 1991 Sao Paulo by Christian Miniussi of Argentina.
