Carlos Moya in action vs Radek Stepanek during their semi-final at the Chennai Open on Saturday

Chennai: Carlos Moya’s romance with the Chennai Open assumed a new meaning on Saturday evening. Not just because he moved within a win of completing a hattrick of titles, more significantly because of the way he overcame a 90-minute rain-enforced break and a stubborn opponent who was prepared to shed blood for the scalp of King Carlos.

Stopped in their tracks for five minutes during the second set and an hour and a half in the third, Moya and Radek Stepanek served up the best fare of the week before the second seed bowed out 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7) after two hours and 35 minutes of pulsating action.

There was time for just four games in the second semi-final before the weather gods played spoilsport again. This time, there was to be no resumption. Top seed Ivan Ljubicic led unseeded Belgian Kristof Vliegen 3-1 and the duo will return Sunday noon to identify who will challenge Moya. The doubles final will come off at 5 pm, followed by the singles final.

It was the fourth time in five days that the third-seeded Moya had been taken the full distance. Not the easiest of jobs for a 29-year-old who was the second-oldest in the Chennai draw.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played four three-setters to get to the final of a tournament? It was my mental strength and self-belief which saw me through,” Moya said later, adding that this would rank as one of the most exciting matches of his career.

Moya had said on Friday that he was prepared for hard battles, never mind the number of sets that involved. And didn’t Stepanek force the two-time champion into a bull-fight! The Czech didn’t hit the ball as hard as most of his contemporaries, but the 27-year-old showed he knows a thing or two about controlling the pace, working his way into the points, creating the angles and volleying efficiently as well.

As Moya looked to stay solid on serve, Stepanek used a delightful range of variations to match the former world No. 1. The Czech used the top-spin forehand to make Moya run from corner to corner, he pounced on any short return to forcefully put away the winner to the empty corner and often played the drop-shot to make sure Moya didn’t get used to a pattern.

Despite being pressured, the Spaniard coped rather well. The odd drop-shot did catch him a step slower, but he was not being overrun by his opponent. He ran around his backhand to convert openings with his favoured forehand and served well when it mattered most.

One service break made the difference in the opening set, Moya taking it in the fifth game.

With the packed stadium chanting ‘Moya, Moya’, Stepanek had more than a rival to overcome. He was at the receiving end of a couple of close line calls as well, but those external factors hardly dented Stepanek’s spirit.

In fact, it was the Czech who was the aggressor for most of the second set and Moya was left playing catch-up. The 1998 French Open champion faced eight break-points, including five in the eighth game. Moya came through all those moments of crisis and it was time for the tie-breaker.

A gem of a running forehand crosscourt pass tilted the balance in Stepanek’s favour.

The third set brought the best out of both men. Moya was the first to blink, dropping serve in game 7. The great champion that he is, he broke right back. A second tie-break ensured and this time, Moya was far superior. He didn’t make a single mistake, while Stepanek committed three.

That’s why the Czech is headed for Australia a day ahead of Moya.