Title in Safin's sights

Marat Safin remained on course for a fairytale Russian farewell after progressing to the semi-finals of the St Petersburg Open with a straight-sets win over Denis Istomin.

The 29-year-old former world No.1 is playing his final tournament in his homeland before he retires at the end of the season.

And Safin has saved his best for last as he reached his first semi-final of 2009 by beating the Uzbek 6-0 7-6 (7-4).

"It's been a long time since I was in the semi-finals, so its nice to be back playing one tomorrow and also here in Russia," Safin said.

Safin, a two-time champion in St Petersburg, will meet qualifier Sergiy Stakhovsky in the last four after he cruised past German Bjorn Phau 6-3 7-5.

Second-seed Victor Hanescu crashed out of the tournament at the hands of Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-3 3-6 7-6 (8-6) in a match that lasted two hours and 11 minutes.

Kunitsyn will now meet Horacio Zeballos in the last four after the Argentine progressed to his first ever ATP semi-final by beating Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (10-8) 6-4.

Zeballos survived all six break points against him, and a barrage of 18 aces from the Latvian, before claiming the win.

Meanwhile, at the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon, wild card Arnaud Clement inflicted a surprise defeat on top-seed and fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga as the home contingent continued its domination of the tournament.

Clement fought back from a set down to eventually clinch a near-three-hour marathon 5-7 6-4 7-6 (10-8) to reach a semi-final against Ivan Ljubicic.

He led the final-set tie-break 5-1 at one stage but ended up having to save a match point, before finishing off Tsonga with his own third opportunity to do so.

Clement's fellow French wild card Michael Llodra also progressed into the last four, coming through his quarter-final against compatriot Marc Gicquel in straight sets but with little to spare - 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

He will face second-seed Gilles Simon, who won another Gallic encounter in similar style against Julien Benneteau - 7-6 (7-5) 6-3.

Croatia's third-seed Ljubicic is the only man who can stop a home winner of the tournament, having also gone through in straight sets after an initial tie-break against Florent Senna.

And in Vienna, two of the top-three seeds tumbled as the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy reached the quarter-final stage.

Second-seeded Radek Stepanek was brushed aside 6-2 6-2 by seventh-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria, and was followed out of the tournament by third-seeded Gael Monfils.

The Frenchman went out 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 6-3 to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in a two-hour marathon.

Their exits keep the path clear for top-seed Marin Cilic, with the Croatian making light work of Spain's Feliciano Lopez, the sixth seed, in a 6-1 6-4 victory.

Also through is fourth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber, who edged out another Spaniard, fifth-seeded Nicolas Almagro, 7-5 6-4.