Doha, Qatar (SportsNetwork.com) - David Ferrer snuck past towering Croat Ivo Karlovic to secure a spot in the final at the season-opening $1.22 million Qatar Open.
The fourth-seeded Spanish veteran Ferrer edged out the seventh-seeded 6- foot-10 Karlovic in a three-tiebreak affair, 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), on the hardcourts at Khalifa International Tennis Complex. Karlovic bombed 30 aces in a losing effort in a match where there were no breaks of serve.
Ferrer is now 4-1 lifetime against Karlovic, who stunned world No. 1 star Novak Djokovic here on Thursday.
Ferrer's opponent in Saturday's title bout will be third-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych or unseeded Italian Andreas Seppi.
The 32-year-old Ferrer will appear in his 47th career final, seeking a 22nd title. He was 1-3 in his 2014 finals.
Doha serves as a tune-up for the Australian Open.
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