By Steve Pratt
© Tony Chang/Chang Photography

(October 23, 2010) Marinko Matosevic simply has Donald Young’s number.
 
For the fourth time this year, the No. 6 seeded Australian Matosevic beat the top-seeded and defending champion Young, this time in the semifinals of the USTA Men’s Pro Tennis Championships of Calabasas. And he did it rather easily, controlling each game and the entire match, winning 6-3, 6-0.
 
"The first time we played at Indian Wells in qualifying I had no right to win," Matosevic said afterwards. "I had played a marathon match the day before that lasted three and a half hours. I had no right to beat him the first time and it was a third-set tiebreaker and I saved five match points.
 
"I just match up well against him. Maybe it’s mental. He didn’t shake my hand after I beat him the last time in Sacramento and I think he has a problem with me. But that’s OK. There may be a little bit of gamesmanship going on out there. But tonight I didn’t do anything. As Mike (Loo) the tournament supervisor said I was on my best behavior."
 
Matosevic, who lost in Calabasas in the second round last year to Cecil Mamiit, will face No. 2 seeded Ryan Sweeting in the final on Sunday around 4 p.m. The two have never faced each other.
 
Sweeting came back to beat Kendrick, 1-6, 7-6 (8), 6-2, in the late match on Saturday night.
 
Kendrick, who had two match points late in the tiebreak but couldn’t convert, owned a 5-3 head-to-head lead over Sweeting entering the match, including a three-set win in the recent Sacramento event and also an 8-6 fifth set second-round Wimbledon qualifying match this year.
 
In the doubles final, Americans Travis Rettenmaier and Ryan Harrison, the No. 3 seeded team, will play No. 4 seeded Rik de Voest and Bobby Reynolds in the first match on at 2 p.m. The singles final will follow.
 
Saturday’s Semifinals
Singles Scores
Ryan Sweeting, U.S., (2), def. Robert Kendrick, U.S., (3) 1-6, 7-6 (8), 6-2.
Marinko Matosevic, Australia, (6), def. Donald Young, U.S., (1), 6-3, 6-0
Doubles
Rik de Voest, South Africa / Bobby Reynolds, U.S, (4) def. Ryler DeHeart, U.S. / Pierre Duclos, Canada, 6-4, 6-4
 
Sunday’s Finals
CENTER start 2 p.m.
[4] Rik de Voest (RSA) / Bobby Reynolds (USA) vs [3] Ryan Harrison (USA) / Travis Rettenmaier (USA)
[6] Marinko Matosevic (AUS) vs [2] Ryan Sweeting (USA)