Top-seeded Soderling, who won the clay-court championship last year, beat David Ferrer of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.

"I felt already this morning that I was playing better, and the more the match went on, the better I felt," said Soderling, who struggled to beat unseeded Andreas Seppi in Friday's quarterfinals. "It's great to be in the final again." Ferrer started well, breaking Soderling in the third game of the match and went on to win the first set.

The big-serving Swede, who hit 11 aces in the match, came back to win after breaking Ferrer once in the second and then twice again in the third.

Fourth-seeded Almagro swept compatriot Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-3 on center court in only 68 minutes to advance to Sunday's final.

Two-time champion Robredo was no match for Almagro, who broke his serve three times in the first set. Almagro didn't give up any break points during the match on another warm day in Bastad, southern Sweden.

Almagro beat Soderling the last time the pair met, winning in straight sets at this year's Madrid Masters.
 

In Prague, eighth-seeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova has reached her first WTA final by routing Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-2, 6-0 in the Prague Open semifinals on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Czech needed just 53 minutes to dismiss Schnyder, a former top 10 player.

Zahlavova Strycova said it was "an unbelievable feeling" to win and that she "played almost without errors" against Schnyder.

"She plays a bit slow but clever tennis, so I had to be patient and it paid off," the 52nd ranked Zahlavova Strycova said about Schnyder.

In Sunday's final, Zahlavova Strycova will face seventh-seeded Agnes Szavay of Hungary who beat Czech Lucie Hradecka 6-2, 6-4.

The 49th-ranked Szavay will be battling for her fifth career title after winning in Budapest on July 11.
 

Meanwhile, American world No.1 Serena Williams will miss three tournaments in the build-up to the US Open due to surgery on her right foot, the WTA Tour said on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Australian Open and Wimbledon champion will miss events in Istanbul, Cincinnati and Montreal after cutting her foot on broken glass at a restaurant last week.

"I'm so upset I won't be able to play in the upcoming events because of this foot surgery," Williams told the WTA website (www.wtatour.com). "Thank you for all of your support. I can't wait to get back on the courts." The US Open begins at Flushing Meadows on Aug. 30.