Unheralded Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay upset fifth-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-4, 7-6 (3) Friday to advance to the semifinals at the Kremlin Cup.
The 47th-ranked Cuevas has not dropped a set on the way to his first semifinal appearance this season. He also upset top seed and three-time champion Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in the second round.
Cuevas broke Stepanek in the fifth game of the first set. He rallied from 3-2 down to make it 5-5 in the second set and broke to serve for the match. But Stepanek broke back to force a tiebreaker. Cuevas closed the match with a backhand volley on his first match point.
"It was a tough match, very even," Cuevas said. "I served better and made fewer errors. I played more aggressive without missing as much as I did in New Haven."
Cuevas lost to Stepanek in straight sets in the first round in New Haven, Conn., in August.
Second-seeded Victoria Azarenka advanced to the women's semifinals by beating Alisa Kleybanova of Russia 6-1, 6-3 Friday.
The Belorussian will next face eighth-seeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain on Saturday. Martinez Sanchez defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-3.
"We've played a good match today. It was 6-1 in the first set, but there were many deuces," said Azarenka, who saved all six break points she faced in the set. "On key points today, I was more lucky or played better."
Azarenka won four consecutive games in the first set and three more in the second to reach the semifinals in Moscow on her third attempt. She lost in the first round two years ago and made it to the quarterfinals in 2007.
