Tuesday, October 14 2008 -- October 11, 2008, Stockholm, Sweden---Top-seeded David Nalbandian’s defeat over third-seeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen on Saturday officially placed the Argentine in the finals, along with Sweden’s Robin Soderling. This is Nalbandian’s third finals in the year. He had earlier won in Buenos Aires in February but lost another match in Acapulco in the following week. “I’ve played well all week.I served very well. I played the big points well, break points and deuces,” Nalbandian said after the match.

Nieminen is a two-time losing finalist in the Stockholm Open and represented Finland at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he lost to Thomas Johansson. He also made it to the QF at the Australian Open where he lost to Rafael Nadal. He clinched the first set with four straight points and was leading with a score of 40-15 in the third game of the second set when he dropped his serve for the second time. Nalbandian was able to take the lead with a score of 5-1 and won with a total score of 6-2, 6-1 after the Finn double faulted on match point.

Nalbandian shares the spot with Soderling, who had earlier defeated Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori with a score of 6-1, 6-0. The Swiss player ended the match with his 13th ace.