Defending Champion Agustin Calleri, Potito Starace Advance To Austrian Open Semifinals

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) -- Defending champion Agustin Calleri defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 7-6 (5), 6-1 Friday in the quarterfinals of the Austrian Open.<br/><br/>The sixth-seeded Argentine will

Friday, July 27th 2007, 7:54 am

By: News On 6

KITZBUEHEL, Austria (AP) -- Defending champion Agustin Calleri defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 7-6 (5), 6-1 Friday in the quarterfinals of the Austrian Open.

The sixth-seeded Argentine will play Potito Starace, who saved a match point before beating Andreas Seppi 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7) in an all-Italian matchup.

Calleri converted his third set point in the first-set tiebreaker after missing two chances leading 5-3.

In the second set, the 15th-seeded Lapentti -- the last player to beat Calleri in Kitzuehel, in 2005 -- dropped serve three times.

The 10th-seeded Starace saved a match point while trailing 5-3 in the second set, but he broke serve twice to force a tiebreaker.

Both players had one break of serve in the third set before Starace closed it out on his third match point.