Petrova overcomes injury to reach Kremlin Cup final

MOSCOW, Oct 14 (Reuters) Russia's Nadia Petrova overcame a groin injury to reach her first Kremlin Cup final with a 6-0 4-6 7-6 win over Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova on Saturday.

Ater racing through the first set in 36 minutes, the fifth seed, who has been playing with a heavily-strapped left thigh for the entire week in Moscow, asked for a medical time-out to treat her right leg early in the second.

The injury seemed to hamper Petrova's mobility as 17-year-old Vaidisova, who tamed top seed and world number one Amelie Mauresmo in Friday's quarter-final, regained her composure to level the match.

The tall Russian, coming off an impressive victory at the Stuttgart Grand Prix last week, found some reserves in her game in the third set and finally prevailed after nearly two and a half hours.

In tomorrow's final Petrova, who is gunning for her sixth title of the year, will face the winner of the all-Russian second semi-final between fourth seed Elena Dementieva and unseeded Anna Chakvetadze.

Maria Sharapova, the second seed, pulled out of her quarter-final against Chakvetadze on Friday with a foot injury.

REUTERS PM KP1830