ZAGREB, Croatia, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, a former champion at the event, Friday won his semifinal at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament.
Playing in front of a boisterous and enthusiastic home crowd, Ljubicic topped countryman Mario Ancic 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 and will face Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky in Saturday's final.
Ljubicic, 24, was last year's Zagreb runner-up to Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. He won the inaugural Zagreb tournament in 2006.
The little-known, 22-year-old Stakhovsky, playing in his sixth professional season, reached his first career ATP final by ousting Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-4.
"It's like a dream," Stakhovsky said.
When Ljubicic and Stakhovsky meet Saturday, it will be their first-ever meeting, with the winner collecting $59,100.
