World number five Carlos Moya beat Spanish compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 on Saturday to set up a repeat of last year's final against Paradorn Srichaphan at the $400,000 Chennai Open ATP tournament.
Defending champion Moya withstood a barrage of forehand winners to over come his 21-year-old Davis Cup sparring partner in a match lasting two hours.
Thailand's Paradorn, the second seed, reached his fourth consecutive final in Chennai with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Tomas Zib of the Czech Republic.
Paradorn, winner here in 2003, wilted as the unfancied Czech hit a series of stunning backhand winners before clinching the first set tiebreak 7-5.
The world number 27 found his rhythm in the second set to wear down the 28-year-old Zib, who was playing his first semi-final in an ATP event.
"I was really happy to make it in the first set," Paradorn said. "He was returning just so well. His backhand down the line was really killing."
Moya, the 1998 French Open winner, struggled on the fast court as his young rival served solidly and hit some powerful shots to storm through the second set.
In the decider, Garcia-Lopez rallied from 4-2 down to force the tiebreak, but former world number one Moya showed his experience to prevail 7-2.
"I was a bit unfocussed and he was very close to beating me," said Moya. "He's a heavy hitter, on his day he can beat anybody."
