Los Angeles - Juan Del Potro staked a claim on a third consecutive title as he hammered Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday for a place in a career-first hardcourt title match at the Los Angeles Classic.
The 19-year-old, who came to the US after a back-to-back clay trophys at Stuttgart and Kitzbuehel, will wait for either top seed Andy Roddick or German spoiler Denis Gremelmayr, ranked 89 and a quarter-final winner over Marat Safin.
Del Potro broke the sixth-seeded American Fish five times and set up match points with his seventh ace.
The powerful youngster has now won his last lucky 13 matches.
"I've very happy, I played unbelievable today," said Del Potro. "Mardy's a good player but I didn't let him do anything today.
"I'm so happy to be in my first hardcourt final, I'd love to win another title."
The number 24 added: "I actually prefer hardcourt more than clay. My coach has taught me that, he has changed my mind, my game - everything."
Del Potro has stormed into the final without dropping a set.
Despite defeat, Fish said the week has helped his campaign after he joined Roddick in skipping the Beijing Olympics in favour of being ready for the US Open.
"He was tough, that was more to do with it than anything else," Fish said of Del Potro. "He's shown that he can play on any surface.
"And he's only 19 - that's scary. But this has been a good week to build on for me, it can help to turn my summer around."
Fish started well but was soon overwhelmed by the South American.
Del Potro broke in the third and seventh game of the opening set closed out with a fifth break to end the rout after 81 minutes.
The winner was refreshingly honest about whom he would like to face in a bid for his third title of the season.
"I prefer Gremelmayr, for sure. If it's Roddick, it will be a good match for me. I just have to try and return his serve."
Roddick is using this week and next in Washington to recover from after a shoulder injury, which forced him from the French Open followed by neck spasms last week in Cincinnati that kept him from starting that tournament. (dpa)
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