Granollers reaches Valencia Open final

Marcel Granollers beat sixth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Saturday to advance to his second consecutive final at the Valencia Open.

Del Potro started well on the indoor hard-court, but Granollers took control through his serve-and-volley game to win the first set.

In the second, Granollers saved a set point to force a tiebreaker where he won six straight points to rally from 4-1 down to seal his place in the final.

The 25-year-old Catalan player had already beaten seventh-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov in the first round and third-seeded Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals.

Defending champion David Ferrer played the unseeded Juan Monaco in the other semifinal.

The 34th-ranked Granollers, who won his second ATP title in July, lost to Ferrer in last year's all-Spanish final.

Del Potro's exit meant Czech player Tomas Berdych locked up his place among the top eight players for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals. With only the Paris Masters left to play, there are just two spots remaining for the season-finale event in London.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France and Mardy Fish of the United States currently are in seventh and eighth place, with Spaniard Nicolas Almagro and Del Potro still in striking distance.