Marat Safin through to semifinal of Paris Open

Russia's best tennis player Marat Safin is through to a semifinal of the Paris Open with almost a 3-million-dollar prize fund. In the quarterfinal, Safin scored a difficult victory in three sets (6:3, 5:7, 6:3) over Nicolas Escude. The latter is in a perfect shape to which his easy victory over Tim Henman of England, qualified 6th, was a proof. This match also had a psychological aspect. In late November, the two competitors will meet again in Paris in the Davis Cup Group Final as part of their national teams.

Today, November 2nd, Safin will challenge Carlos Moya of Spain to make it through to the final. On Friday, Carlos Moya sensationally beat the world's second tennis player, Andre Agassi of the United States (6:4, 6:4).

The Spaniard and the Russian faced each other two times and each secured one victory. For the last time Safin and Moya challenged each other in 2002 in Monte-Carlo and the Spaniard proved stronger.

In the other semifinal, the world's first tennis player, Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, will challenge this season's sensation - Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand.

The match between Marat Safin and Carlos Moya will start at 05.00 p.m. Moscow time, at the central tennis-court of the Bercy Sports Centre in Paris.