Chilean No. 5 seed Fernando Gonzalez utilized a deft slice and pounding forehand to subdue No. 6 Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 6-2 Friday at the ATP stop in Auckland.
"I think today was really tough to play, it was very windy and me, and Chela we know each other really good because we played each other a few times before," Gonzalez said. "I was playing with confidence and my slice was working really good and that made me feel much better on the court.”
In the final "Gonzo" Gonzalez will face unseeded Belgian Olivier Rochus, with "The Roach" overwhelming Czech qualifier Jan Hernych 6-3, 6-1 in under an hour. The Roach is appearing in his first final since Copenhagen in 2003.
It will be the first meeting between Gonzo and The Roach.
In the doubles final the duo of Simon Aspelin and Todd Perry will play in an ATP final for the second week in a row, facing the Swiss/German pair of Yves Allegro and Michael Kohlmann.
