Baghdatis rallies to reach men's final; Clijsters retires in women's semifinal

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Unseeded Marcos Baghdatis extended his remarkable run at the Australian Open, rallying Thursday to beat No. 4 David Nalbandian 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and reach the final.

With the crowd screaming support, the 54th-ranked Baghdatis guaranteed that he will more than double his career winnings. He will play the winner of today's semifinal between top-seeded Roger Federer and No. 21 Nicolas Kiefer.

Baghdatis, a former world junior champion from Cyprus, was serving for the match at 15-15 when rain began pouring down, forcing organizers to close the roof on Rod Laver Arena.

After workers toweled off the surface, the 20-year-old Baghdatis missed his first match point on a backhand that was ruled long.

Nalbandian hit a forehand into the net to set up a second chance, and Baghdatis finished it off with his 15th ace, dropping to his knees and bowing his head.

"Just amazing," said Baghdatis, who hadn't made it past the fourth round of his first five Grand Slam events. "I have to wake up.

"Everything was going in. I was just in my own world I think."

He won 17 of the last 21 points.

On the women's side, second-seeded Kim Clijsters had to quit during her semifinal against No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo after spraining her right ankle. Mauresmo, seeking her first Grand Slam title, will face eighth-seeded Justine Henin-Hardenne on Saturday.

U.S. Open champion Clijsters, who will rise to No. 1 when the new rankings come out next week, turned her ankle in the third set, bringing an abrupt end to a match that looked to be heading to a tense conclusion.

Mauresmo was leading 5-7, 6-2, 3-2 and 15-love when Clijsters hobbled to the net and withdrew.

That ended the prospect of an all-Belgian final with Henin-Hardenne, who is seeking a fifth Grand Slam singles title. She extended her Melbourne Park winning streak to 13 matches by ousting No. 4 Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

"It's a shame it had to happen," Clijsters said before heading to a hospital for tests. "I think it was going to be a close one."