Defending champion Viktor Troicki is clinging onto his Moscow title and faces qualifier Jeremy Chardy for a place in the final.
Troicki won a marathon quarter-final encounter on Friday, seeing off Alex Bogomolov 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 7-6(3) in three hours and 38 minutes, tying Rafael Nadal's Cincinnati epic with Fernando Verdasco for longest match of the season.
Troicki had most of the chances but Bogomolov held firm, saving 14 out of 18 break points. "Mentally and physically it was very tough and I am exhausted now," Troicki said. "I am in the semi-finals now and I hope I will be ready. Chardy is very talented and struggled a little bit this season but now is back in good form. I like playing here, it is almost like pkaying at home."
Chardy was ranked comfortably inside the top 50 not so long ago but he's had a tough year and a half and had to come through qualifying last weekend. It's been two years since he last reached the semi-finals of a tour event but he's more than proved his worth in the main draw this week, taking out third seed Alex Dolgopolov in straight sets and then beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-3 in the last eight.
Prediction: Troicki in two.
