Summary Roger Federer beat defending champion Tommy Haas and reaches Gerry Weber Open final.
HALLE (AP) - Top-seeded Roger Federer came from behind to beat defending champion Tommy Haas 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and reach the Gerry Weber Open final on Saturday.
Federer lost last year s final to the German veteran but he is on course for his first title in his second final of the year.
Federer will play Mikhail Youzhny in Sunday s final. Youzhny upset second-seeded Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-2 in less than hour.
"It s a good win for me, especially after losing the first set," Federer said. "I felt I played well from start to finish, even in the first set."
Federer is seeking his sixth title on grass in Halle, his favorite warm-up for Wimbledon. Four of Federer s seven Wimbledon titles have come after triumphs in Halle.
While Federer fired 15 aces, Haas finished with nine double-faults. Two consecutive ones at the end of the third game of the final set gave Federer the decisive edge.
"This was my best serving by far this week," Federer said.
Youzhny broke serve for a 2-0 lead and never looked behind. Ha raced to 4-0 in the second and wrapped it with a volley winner.
Youzhny is seeking to become the first Russian winner in Halle since Yevgeny Kafelnikov s last of three titles in 2002, the year before Federer began his run of five.
Federer has beaten Youzhny in all of their previous 14 matches, including the semifinals in Halle and the quarterfinals of Wimbledon last year.
"A new match is like a new life, and you never know," Youzhny said.
Although he owns five titles in Halle, where a street going past the stadium is called the Roger-Federer-Allee, the 31-year-old Swiss last won here in 2008.
"It s a big final for me, after that I ll start thinking about Wimbledon," Federer said.
