Sweeting,Nishikori set up title clash in Houston

Wild card Ryan Sweeting upset former champion Ivo Karlovic 7-6,6-3 to advance to the final of the US Clay Court Championship on Saturday. Local hope Sweeting,who will face Japans Kei Nishikori for the title,survived three break points in the fourth game and rallied from a 3-2 deficit in the tie breaker with five consecutive points to take the first set.

Sweeting broke Croat Karlovics serve to take a 4-2 lead over the 2007 champion in the second set and closed out the match on serve. I feel great here in Houston,Sweeting said. Ivo had a three-hour match and was in a little bit of pain out here today. I knew hed be serving big,but you cant let that bother you. Youve just got to take care of your own serve. Its good to get to my first final here in the States and here in Houston.

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In the other semi-final,Nishikori defeated Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-3,7-5 to reach his second ATP Tour final. He won the Delray Open in 2008. Nishikori dropped serve in the fourth and sixth game of the second set but recovered by breaking Cuevas in the fifth and 11th games. Nishikoris serve was nearly broken again in the 12th game but he fought off two break points to close the match with a forehand volley. Nikishori,who is currently ranked 61st in the world,can become Japans highest ranked male player ever with a victory over Sweeting in the final,bettering Shuzo Matsuokas career-best 46th.