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Barcelona - Fernando Verdasco reached his second final in two weeks after beating David Ferrer 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-1 in the Barcelona Open semifinals on Saturday.
Eighth-seeded Ferrer rallied from early jitters behind dominant baseline play to take the first set in a tiebreaker.
Fifth-seeded Verdasco snapped his fellow Spaniard's momentum with two breaks in the second set to even the match. Verdasco then dominated his Davis Cup teammate in the deciding frame with forehand winners.
"I had confidence after coming back into the game in the second set," said Verdasco, who lost last week's Monte Carlo Masters to Rafael Nadal. "I'll have to recover quickly to be in good shape for tomorrow."
Verdasco will try to make it nine straight Spanish winners at Godo when he plays either second-seeded Robin Soderling or unseeded Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands in Sunday's final. It is the 14th straight year a Spanish player features in the final.
Ferrer saved three break points in the opening game before succumbing to Verdasco on his second service game to trail 2-1. But Ferrer immediately rallied for a break of his own to make it 2-2 and neither player dropped serve until the tiebreaker, when Ferrer pulled away.
Ferrer controlled the tempo from the baseline and slapped a crosscourt forehand winner into the corner for another break and a 3-2 lead in the second set of a draining match in the hot sun.
"In the first set I felt a little heavy in the legs, I was moving poorly and I was late getting to a lot of balls," Verdasco said. "I got better with the game, it was a little strange."
Verdasco overcame his frustration to even it at 4-4 when Ferrer hit long and gradually the momentum shifted to the ninth-ranked Verdasco, who clinched the set on his fifth try as Ferrer netted.
"I had the occasion and took advantage," said Verdasco, who will be going for his second title of the season. "Getting the two breaks in the second set, that was tough."
Verdasco stroked a forehand down the near line for his fifth break of the match before holding serve for a 5-0 lead in the deciding frame, which he clinched when Ferrer hit out.
Ferrer was denied a third straight trip to the Barcelona final, where he had lost to Nadal both times.
