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Rotterdam - Swede Robin Soderling is one win away from retaining his World Indoor tournament title after beating Victor Troicki 7-5, 6-4 in the semi-finals on Saturday.
The top seed will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday after the French number eight seed reached his first ATP final since October 2009 by defeating Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 7-6.
Soderling's victory was based on a solid service game as Troicki was allowed only two break chances while the Swede broke the Serbian's serve in the final game of both sets.
"I stepped up my game today and that was satisfying," Soderling told reporters after he gave up a 4-1 first set lead before regrouping to earn a ninth straight win in Rotterdam.
"I prepared well, arriving early in Rotterdam, had some days of practice but finally you have to do it in the matches and the way I'm playing gives me confidence for tomorrow's final."
Tsonga, who had extra time to prepare for his match after quarter-final opponent Tomas Berdych withdrew through illness on Friday, converted his only break opportunity in the fifth game on his way to taking the opening set.
Ljubicic, twice a beaten finalist in Rotterdam, improved his returns in the second and secured an early break but the Croatian handed the advantage back when serving for the set at 5-3 and Tsonga clinched the match in the tiebreak.
"The big difference today was in serving as he (Ljubicic) didn't serve like he normally does and also my extra day rest, while Ivan played three sets, was an advantage," Tsonga told reporters.
"It was my first win in an important match for a long time and that gives me confidence."
Soderling will play his third Rotterdam final in four years after losing to Michael Llodra in 2008 and beating Mikhail Youzhny last year. He can become the fourth player to retain the title after Arthur Ashe, Stefan Edberg and Nicolas Escude.
