Roddick reaches China Open final

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:03

Roddick, ranked eighth in the world with 25 career titles to his credit, will face Dudi Sela of Israel in Sunday’s title match.

On paper, the 92nd-ranked Sela does not look to have much of a chance against Roddick, but this has been an extraordinary week for the 23-year-old.

Sela pushed his way into the final with a 6-3 6-3 semi-final win over seventh-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany earlier on Saturday.

It marked his third victory over a seeded player this week, as he also picked off top seed David Ferrer and last year’s runner-up Tommy Robredo, seeded six, en route to this stage.

If Sela can pull off another stunner against Roddick, he will become the first player from Israel to win an ATP singles title since Amos Mansdorf did so at Washington in 1993.

Roddick, however, has already brushed aside another tournament surprise – the 137th-ranked Phau was seeking his maiden ATP final appearance after upsets of defending champion Fernando Gonzalez, the third seed, and eighth seed Sam Querrey.

A win here would be a confidence boost for Roddick, who has endured an up-and-down season.

The 26-year-old has not hoisted a trophy since March, due in part to back and shoulder injuries that caused him to miss the French Open.

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