David Ferrer reached his fifth final of the year with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Robin Soderling at the Valencia Open, while Marcel Ganollers ensured an all-Spanish matchup by beating Gilles Simon on Saturday.
Ferrer took advantage of errant shotmaking by the fifth-ranked Swede in the first and third sets to score key break points, including in the sixth game of the final set when Soderling hit wide for the Spaniard to get out to 4-2.
Soderling fired wide for Ferrer to clinch it in front of his hometown fans.
Ferrer faces fellow Davis Cup winner Granollers in Sunday's final after the 52nd-ranked player's aggressive net play led him to a 6-4, 6-4 win. Granollers reaches his second career final after winning in Houston over two years ago.
The eighth-ranked Ferrer improved his chances of qualifying for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London this month.
''Tomorrow's final is practically my passport to London,'' Ferrer, seeded fourth, said. ''I don't know if I'm the favorite or not.''
Second-seeded Soderling struggled over the close of the first set on the indoor hardcourt at the City of Arts and Sciences complex.
He saved Ferrer's first break chance before netting a forehand to trail 5-3. Ferrer clinched the first set by serving out the ninth game to love.
But Soderling immediately rallied behind his service game as he fired seven of his eight aces in the second set.
Soderling forced Ferrer deep behind the baseline with some aggressive shotmaking, eventually pouncing forward to set up his first break chance with a soft drop shot. Soderling hit an on-the-run passing forehand down the line to break and lead 2-0.
Ferrer kept Soderling from breaking again in the sixth game as both players held serve to set up a third set.
Ferrer pulled ahead in the fourth game after chasing down Soderling's crosscourt shot and catching him at the net for a volley reply that landed wide. Ferrer converted the subsequent break with a passing shot for 3-1.
Soderling broke straight back but then began to spray his shots wide, and Ferrer broke again when Soderling slapped a backhand wide.
While Simon displayed some of the form this week that took him to No. 6, the Frenchman was overwhelmed by Granollers.
Simon fired a backhand wide of the far line to be broken and trail 4-3. Granollers held firm on his serve and clinched the set when Simon shot long as he raced forward.
Granollers — playing only because Jo-Wilfried Tsonga withdrew with a knee injury — broke again early on for a 2-1 lead and then slapped a forehand down the near line to save a Simon break chance before holding serve in the next game.
The Barcelona native broke again when Simon netted to lead 4-1. The pair exchanged breaks before Simon got rolling, saving four match points to take the next two games before finally netting to bow out.
''It was a complicated game, especially the close,'' Granollers said. ''After not reaching a final for 2 1/2 years, this is a reward for all the work I've done.''
Granollers was a member of the Spain team that beat Argentina in the Davis Cup final in 2008.
