Romania’s Victor Hanescu beats Italy’s Fabio Fognini to reach Mercedes Cup final in Stuttgart

Hanescu beats Fognini to reach Mercedes Cup final

STUTTGART, Germany — Romania’s Victor Hanescu, the only seeded player left in the field, beat Italy’s Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 Saturday at the Mercedes Cup to reach his first ATP Tour final in a year.

Hanescu, seeded fourth and ranked No. 33, will play for the title Sunday against Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer or France’s Jeremy Chardy.

Kiefer and Chardy had to play twice Saturday after their quarterfinals were rained out. Kiefer advanced by beating qualifier Lukasz Kubot 6-2, 6-1, and Chardy defeated Mischa Zverev 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Hanescu lost a set for the first time in the tournament. He served for the match in the second set but was broken and then lost the tiebreaker.

Hanescu played in his last final in July 2008 at Gstaad, Switzerland, where he won his only title.