CHENNAI, India -- Top seed Tomas Berdych and last year's runner-up Stanislas Wawrinka were a pair of quarterfinals victors Friday at the $450,000 Chennai Open, a hardcourt Australian Open tuneup.
The world No. 6 Wimbledon runner-up Berdych blitzed 112th-ranked Slovenian Blaz Kavcic 6-3, 6-3, while the third-seeded Wawrinka came from behind to beat eighth-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 at SDAT Tennis Stadium. Berdych and Wawrinka will square off in Saturday's marquee semifinal here.
The world No. 21 Wawrinka and Haase were forced to wait out a rain delay, which came with the score tied at 1-1 in the opening set on Day 5.
Wawrinka lost to tall Croat Marin Cilic in last year's Chennai finale.
Saturday's other semi will pit sixth-seeded Serb Janko Tipsarevic against seventh-seeded former Chennai champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium. Tipsarevic got past talented Japanese Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4, while the 2007 titlist Malisse mauled speedy German Bjorn Phau 6-0, 6-2.
This week's champion will claim $68,850.
