Ljubicic Advances to Zagreb Open Semis

Ivan Ljubicic from Croatia returns a ball to Thomas Johansson from Sweden, during their quarter final PBZ Zagreb Indoors ATP tennis tournament match in Zagreb, Croatia, Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) (Darko Bandic - AP)

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Defending champion Ivan Ljubicic defeated Thomas Johansson of Sweden 7-6 (8), 6-7 (8), 7-6 (4) Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Zagreb Open.

Ljubicic served 28 aces but hampered himself with careless shots from the baseline and at the net. The Croat rallied from 4-1 down in the first tiebreaker, then staved off four set points in the second tiebreaker before losing.

The top seed broke in the opening game of the third set. Johansson struck right back and forced a final tiebreaker, which Ljubicic won after taking a 3-0 lead.

Ljubicic faces fourth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny in the semifinal after the Russian defeated Marc Gicquel of France 7-5, 6-2.

Youzhny struggled to take control until the 12th game of the first set and then never relinquished control with fine serving and a series of winners.

Second-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus was stretched to a third set before defeating Arnaud Clemente of France 6-2, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (5).

Baghdatis, a finalist at the Australian Open in 2006, stumbled after leading 5-0 in the tiebreak of the final set, but regained composure to secure a semifinal berth against Alexander Peya of Austria.

Peya beat Michael Llodra of France 6-3, 6-3. Peya had to qualify for the main draw and had previously never made it to an ATP quarterfinal.