Kafelnikov, Verkerk reach Milan final

Milan: Yevgeny Kafelnikov reached his first ATP final in four months by defeating eighth-seeded Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 7-6 (10/8), 6-3 yesterday in the semifinals of the $380,000 Milan Indoors tournament. The Russian, who got eliminated early at the Australian Open by Nieminen, got quick revenge at the IOL Arena, setting up an unpredictable championship match with unheralded Dutchman Martin Verkerk. Verkerk won a battle of big serves in an earlier match to earn his first career final in the main ATP draw with a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/1) victory over Croat Ivan Ljubicic. Verkerk, ranked 90th in the ATP entry list, relied on his powerful serve and unforced errors by his opponent in key points. (AP)