Djokovic, Wawrinka reach Rome Masters final

OUT: Andy Roddick leaves the court after retiring in the first set of the semi-final against Stanislas Wawrinka.

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Roger Federer lost his sixth match of the year on Friday.

• Roddick, Blake enter Rome Masters quarter-finals
• Federer towers over Karlovic, reaches quarter-finals
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• Stepanek knocks Federer out of Rome Masters
• Roddick, Blake enter Rome Masters quarter-finals
• Federer towers over Karlovic, reaches quarter-finals
• Double-amputee sprinter Pistorius' Olympic dream ends
• India beat S Korea, retain Junior Asia Cup hockey title

Keywords: Stanislas Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic

Rome: Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and unseeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka will meet in the final of the Rome Masters on Sunday after their semi-final opponents retired injured on Saturday.

Serbian third seed Djokovic went through after unseeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who stunned world No. 1 Roger Federer on Friday, pulled out when 6-0, 1-0 down.

After the game Stepanek said he felt weak and dizzy on court.

Wawrinka made the final after American sixth seed Andy Roddick withdrew at 3-0 down in the first set because of a back injury.

Stepanek looked out of sorts from the off.

The charges to the net that had proved effective against Federer did nothing to unsettle the 20-year-old Serb.

The Czech player was also guilty of too many unforced errors, screaming in frustration after hitting the first of two double faults to lose his serve in the final game of the first set.

He took a long pause before the start of the second set to consider his fitness and decided to stop after losing the following game to love.

Fine returns

It was clear that Roddick was not at his best in the second game when the big server was broken to love, although Wawrinka did produce some fine returns and forehand winners to the corner to take it.

"I felt something a little bit last night in my back. It was a little bit uncomfortable this morning but I warmed up and it was fine," Roddick told a news conference.

"I just made a wrong movement and it went into a complete spasm. I can't really move or do much with my left arm. We'll have a better reading on it tomorrow or the next day. I probably won't be able to hit much for the next two days."

Wawrinka, who beat former world No. 1s Juan Carlos Ferrero and Marat Safin and seeds Andy Murray and James Blake to reach the semi-final, will be aiming to become the first unseeded Rome champion since Spain's Felix Mantilla upset Federer in the 2003 final.

The win will lift him from 24th into the top 10 of the rankings.