PBZ Zagreb Indoors

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.

Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic served 18 aces in beating fellow Croat Lovro Zovko 6-4, 7-6 (3) to make the quarterfinals of the Zagreb Indoors on Wednesday.

Ljubicic improved to 11-1 in Zagreb after winning the title in 2006 and reaching last year’s final. He’ll play Teimuraz Gabashvili of Russia, who ousted Rik De Voest of South Africa 7-5, 6-1.

Ivan Ljubicic is at it again at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tennis tournament.

The top-seeded Croat looks to continue his run of success on home soil when he faces countryman Lovro Zovko in second-round play Wednesday.

With his opening round win against Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis on Tuesday, Ljubicic improved to 10-1 at this event, which he won in 2006 - the first year of the tournament.

The 28-year-old reached the championship match at this $370,000 hardcourt event again last year, but lost to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

Eighth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic advanced to the quarterfinals of the Zagreb Indoors by defeating Roko Karanusic 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in the second round Wednesday.

Tipsarevic saved six break points in the first set, but failed to convert a match point in the second. Karanusic then led 4-3 in the third before Tipsarevic closed out the match.

Olivier Rochus also advanced, beating Stefan Koubek, 6-2, 6-4. Koubek reached the final in Zagreb in 2006, losing to Ivan Ljubicic, this year’s top seed. He was to face fellow Croatian Lovro Zovko later Wednesday.

Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic moved into the second round of the PBZ Zagreb Indoors, while second-seeded Ivo Karlovic was beaten in three sets by 209th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky on Tuesday.

Ljubicic had a tough time before dispatching Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-3, 7-6 (7), while fellow Croat Karlovic wasn't as lucky, losing to 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 to Stakhovsky of Ukraine. Karlovic was beaten despite serving 14 aces and having seven break points.

Playing on home soil has done little to aid Ivo Karlovic.

The second-seeded Croat was an unlikely upset victim Tuesday, losing to 209th-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in the opening round of the $370,000 PBZ Zagreb Indoors.

This is the third straight year that Karlovic has played at this hardcourt event and he’s done progressively worse on each occasion. The 28-year-old was a quarterfinalist here in 2006 before losing then-world No. 179 Stefan Koubek, and was upset in the second round here last season by Michael Llodra.