Italy's Starace beats Calleri to reach Austrian final

KITZBUEHEL, Austria, July 28 (Reuters) Italian 10th seed Potito Starace beat holder Agustin Calleri of Argentina 6-4 7-5 today to reach the Austrian Open final.

Starace, who has yet to win a title on the ATP Tour, will face the winner of the day's second semi-final between Fernando Verdasco and Juan Monaco in tomorrow's showdown.

Sixth-seeded Calleri had not dropped a set on his way to the semis but looked out of sorts against Starace, throwing away a decisive service game to love in the fifth game of the match.

He was under near constant pressure in the second set, saving two break points at 2-2 and 3-3 before losing out to a Starace backhand winner in the penultimate game.

''I've already won some unbelievable matches this week,'' said Starace, who saved three match points in both his third round and quarter-final matches against Germany's Florian Mayer and fellow Italian Andreas Seppi.

Tomorrow's final will be the second of Starace's career after Valencia in April when he lost to Spain's Nicolas Almagro.

REUTERS TB BD2035