Sydney, Australia (SportsNetwork.com) – Serbian Viktor Troicki and
Kazakhstani Mikhail Kukushkin secured berths in Saturday’s final
at the Sydney International tennis event, a final Australian Open
tune-up.
Troicki and Kukushkin will square off in the first ATP World Tour final
between two qualifiers.
Kukushkin upset fifth-seeded Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 6-4, while the
former Sydney runner-up Troicki handled Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller 6-2, 6-4 in
Friday’s semifinals.
Kukushkin ousted defending champion Juan Martin del Potro in the
quarterfinals.
The 28-year-old Troicki is 1-4 in his career ATP finals, with his lone title
coming in 2010 in Moscow. He was the Sydney runner-up in 2011.
The 28-year-old Kukushkin is 1-1 in his career finals, with his title also
coming in Russia in 2010, in St. Petersburg.
Saturday’s winner will claim $80,000.
