Fish, Melzer in ATP Houston Final

"I'm sorry I can't compete tonight," Haas told the crowd. "I was feeling pain every time I hit the ball and therefore you can't really compete at this level, so it's unfortunate for me."

Fish will be playing in his first ATP final since June 2004 at Halle, and is himself making a comeback from two wrist surgeries.

In the final Fish will face unseeded Jurgen Melzer, who ousted No. 7 seed Paul Goldstein 6-3, 6-4, ripping off six straight games after dropping the first three in the opening set.

Melzer made frequent use of his big lefty forehand and the drop shot, making the touch-challenged American frequently play short balls. Melzer won 18 of his 26 net approaches, almost twice the trips forward compared to Goldstein who showed his eversion to the net.

"I knew Paul is a tough man and he's grinding everything," said Goldstein, who has found success in Houston over the years. "I was thinking, 'Why isn't every week a tournament here in Houston?' I'm happy to be here in the finals and of course I want to get my first (career) title."