MILAN, Italy, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Seeking his 27th career title, fifth-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov moved into the semifinals at the Milan Indoors Friday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman.
Kafelnikov, who contempleted retirement last fall, improved to 10-0 all-time against Bjorkman.
The 28-year-old won twice in 2002 but endured an up-and-down season and finished at No. 27, his lowest year-end ranking since 1993.
In Saturday's semifinals, Kafelnikov will meet eighth-seeded Jarkkic Nieminen of Finland, who ousted unseeded Richard Krajicek of The Netherlands, 7-6 (9-7), 7-5.
Attempting a comeback, the 31-year-old Krajicek reached the quarterfinals for the second time in three tournaments this year. He reached the final eight by winning a 15-13 tiebreaker in the second set of his previous match against Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.
Nieminen has reached three finals in his career.
Unseeded Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands continued his surprising run, ending Italian David Sanguinetti's hopes of defending his title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory.
Sanguinetti saved three match points against Max Mirnyi of Belarus in the second round but was not as fortunate against Verkerk, who reached his first career semifinal.
In Friday's other quarterfinal, Croatia's van Ljubicic ousted French qualifier Julien Varlet, 6-4, 6-1.
