Top-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia will play No. 7 Jurgen Melzer of Austria in the BA Tennis Trophy final after both won semifinals Saturday.
Cilic beat Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-4, 7-6 (4), and Melzer rallied to defeat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Cilic will be trying for his third title of the season - and fourth overall - and still has a slim chance of qualifying for next month's ATP World Tour finals in London.
"I played pretty well in the first set and had a lot of returns in," Cilic said. "Philipp had some chances in the second but I played my best shots when it mattered most, especially in the tiebreak."
The Croat is 3-0 against Melzer, who will play his first final of the season.
Melzer won his only title at a clay-court event in Bucharest three years ago. He is the first Austrian to reach the Vienna final since Thomas Muster in 1995, and can become the first local winner since Horst Skoff in 1988.
Cilic, who conceded only two points on serve in the first set, broke Kohlschreiber to lead 4-3.
The Croat broke again in the opening game of the second, but dropped serve shortly afterward. He saved a set point before wrapping up the victory with two straight aces in the tiebreaker.
Melzer lost his serve in the opening game of the match against Tipsarevic.
"My first serve didn't go well early in the match but I kept fighting," Melzer said.
The 45th-ranked Tipsarevic needed a time-out to get his right wrist taped during the second set, which Melzer won with an ace.
Melzer had his only break of the match in the seventh game of the decider.
"In the third set, I had the feeling I was physically fitter that him," Melzer said. "I am playing some very good tennis at the moment (and) get a lot of support here, so it's a pity the tournament is over tomorrow."
