CHENNAI, India, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Second seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand continued his hardcourt success with an easy victory Saturday and moved into the final of the Tata Open for the second straight year.
Srichaphan, seeking his third title in nine events, routed Frenchman Jean-Rene Lisnard, 6-2, 6-1, in the semifinals and will face Slovakian Karol Kucera Sunday.
The 23-year-old Srichaphan led the ATP Tour with 40 wins on hard courts last season, including his titles at Long Island and Stockholm. He lost the final here last year to Argentine Guillermo Canas, but finished 2002 ranked No. 18.
Kucera, who ousted the top-seeded Canas in the quarterfinals, dispatched fourth seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina, 6-4, 7-5, in the other semifinal.
The 28-year-old Kucera is in a final for the first time since losing to American Andre Agassi at the 1999 Swiss Indoors. He ended 2002 ranked No. 74 and reached the semifinals here and at St. Petersburg.
