PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain, May 4 (UPI) -- Jarkko Nieminen of Finland prevented an all-Argentine final at the $381,000 Mallorca Open on Saturday.
Nieminen, the fourth seed, routed Argentina's Mariano Zabaleta, 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinals Saturday. He will face eighth-seeded Gaston GaUdio in the final.
In the other semifinal Saturday, Gaudio overcame fifth-seeded countryman Agustin Calleri, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Nieminen was the runner-up at Estoril last month.
On Friday, Gaudio posted a 7-5, 6-0 victory over top seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil in the quarterfinals. Kuertan, the former world No. 1, missed over two months after undergoing hip surgery.
Gaudio has won nine consecutive matches and captured his first career ATP title on Sunday at the Barcelona claycourt event.
The last all-Argentine final at an ATP event came on Feb. 18, 2001, when Guillermo Coria rallied past Gaudio to win the Vina del Mar claycourt title.
