Cilic advances to Zagreb final again

ZAGREB, Croatia, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Defending champ Marin Cilic banged out a 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win over Austria's Jurgen Melzer Saturday in a semifinal match at the Zagreb Indoors Tennis Tournament.

The 6-foot-6 Cilic, the tournament's top seed, thrilled his countryman in Zagreb, Croatia, by improving to 14-1 this season, and avenging a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Melzer at the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy final in Vienna last October.

"Melzer was a really tough opponent," Cilic admitted. "Winning the first set was a big relief, and the second set was much, much better from my side also."

Cilic tries to win this event a second straight year Sunday against unseeded Michael Berrer of Germany, a 7-6 (10-8), 7-5 winner over fellow German Philipp Petzschner in Saturday's other semifinal.

Sunday's Cilic-Berrer winner receives a $95,500 champion's check.