PBZ Zagreb Indoors

Seventh-seeded Marin Cilic beat Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday in an all-Croatian final at the Zagreb Indoors.

The victory gave Cilic his third ATP title but first in his home country.

“I achieved my dream,” Cilic said. “I’m glad I kept my maximum performance in the finals, which will boost my confidence next time I reach the finals.”

Cilic saved seven break points in the first game, but soon ran off to a 5-1 lead in the first set. In the second, Cilic led 2-0 but was broken before he again took control.

 Marin Cilic and Mario Ancic ensured an all-Croatian final in the 450,000-euro (574,000-dollar) Zagreb ATP tournament on Saturday after defeating Viktor Troicki of Serbia and Czech Jan Hernych respectively.

Second-seeded Cilic eased to a 6-2, 7-5 victory in a match lasting one hour and 25 minutes.

The first set was resolved in the fifth game when Cilic secured a break for a 3-2 lead before the 22-year-old Serbian needed treatment on a back injury. With Troicki struggling, Cilic secured victory courtesy of a break in the 11th game for a 6-5 lead.

Mario Ancic ended qualifier Ivan Dodig’s excellent run at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors by winning their quarterfinal in straight sets Friday.

The seventh-seeded Ancic claimed a comfortable 6-1 6-3 success to book his place in the last four and deprive his opponent of another scalp.

Croatian Dodig had beaten top seed Igor Andreev in the first round and then saw off Ernests Gulbis in the second round.

Second seed Marin Cilic also advanced after he battled past Antonic Veic, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).

Third seed Ivo Karlovic made a second round exit at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors on Thursday as defending champion Sergiy Stakhovsky battled to defeat the Croatian 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament.

Despite 12 aces and a first serve conversion rate of 84 per cent, the 25th-ranked Karlovic was broken twice in the 92-minute match. The 2006 quarter-finalist (l. to Koubek) slipped to a 3-4 record for the season.

Top seed Igor Andreev suffered his second first round exit of the 2009 ATP World Tour season at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors on Tuesday. The Russian, who also lost to Marin Cilic at the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament in 2006, suffered a 6-1, 6-4 defeat to World No. 425 Ivan Dodig in 75 minutes.

Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky caused a major upset by beating top seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-5 6-4 in the Zagreb Indoor final to win his first ATP title.

Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic needed seven match points on Friday to beat fellow Croatian Mario Ancic 7-6 (2), 6-4 and reach his third consecutive Zagreb Indoors final.

In the other semifinal, 209th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine defeated Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-4, 6-4 to became the first lucky loser from qualifying to make an ATP final since Sweden’s Nicklas Kulti in 1999.

Stakhovsky made the main draw after Michael Llodra, last week’s Rotterdam winner, withdrew.

Top seed Ivan Ljubicic reached the Zagreb Indoor final for the third year in a row by beating fellow Croat Mario Ancic 7-6 6-4 on Friday.

Ljubicic next meets unseeded Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine, who ousted Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4 6-4 to qualify for his first ATP final.

The 28-year-old Ljubicic won here in 2006 and was beaten in the final a year later by Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.

The world number 25 swept through the first set tiebreak 7-2 before wrapping up victory over the unseeded Ancic after a single break of serve in the second.

Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic served 19 aces and beat Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3 to advance to the semifinals at the Zagreb Indoors on Thursday.

Ljubicic, the 2006 champion and 2007 finalist, improved to 12-1 in Zagreb. The Croat is the last seeded player left after No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia lost 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine.

Ljubicic will play either Robin Haase of the Netherlands or Mario Ancic of Croatia.

Sergiy Stakhovsky advanced to his first ATP semi-final on Thursday with a 3-6 6-4 6-2 victory over eighth-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament.

Stakhovsky wasn't even in the draw at the hard-court event until Michael Llodra backed out at the last minute - but the world's 209th-ranked player has certainly made the most of his lucky loser opportunity.

He opened the tournament with a stunning 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 win over second seed and world number 21 Ivo Karlovic, who was playing on home soil.