Third seed Malisse fights back to enter semis

Chennai, Jan 5 (UNI) Third seeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium bounced back to emerge victorious 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 in quarter final battle against sixth seeded Fabrice Santoro of France in the ATP tour Chennai Open 2007 here today.

The Belgian has been winning hearts here with his measured display on his way to the last eight stage. He was no different in the quarters on centre court unleashing forehand cross court shots and slamming down aces against his French opponent who started off slowly and found his rhythm in the second set.

Malisse's merciless pounding of Santoro, who himself was quick on returns in the first set in which he broke his opponent in the very first and fifth games, suggested a one-sided contest.

But while trying to wrap up the contest, Malisse allowed Santoro to break him, down 15-40 often hitting the returns out and expressing dissatisfaction at the line call or hitting volleys into the net. But up 5-4 breaking Santoro again in the ninth game, Malisse took the first set holding serve in the tenth.

Santoro, trying to get himself back into the contest in the second set, was broken in the very first game. But he fought back from 0-2 and 2-4 down. He held serve in the seventh, broke Malisse in the eighth to level 4-4, held for a 5-4 lead and broke Malisse in the tenth again to win the set 6-4.

The Belgian made too many unforced errors in the second set and was not in his element. Disappointed at the way he was returning, he slammed down his racquet.

Malisse came back in the third set. His racquet singing again, he unleashed his trademark shots and aces to break Santoro in the first, third and fifth games, to be up 5-0. All that Santoro could do against the Belgian who was at his fiery best was force deuce a couple of times.

''This is my best match so far,'' Malisse said in the post match press conference, adding he made errors because he was playing more aggressively.

The win gave Malisse his fourth successive win against Santoro, whom he respected a lot for the reason that the Frenchman played a different style game.

UNI