Top seed Robin Soderling [ Images ] powered into the Marseille [ Images ] Open final with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Dmitry Tursunov [ Images ] on Saturday and Marin Cilic [ Images ] joined him after a much sterner test.

Croatia's [ Images ] unseeded Cilic survived a match point at 3-5 in the final set to outlast Russian number three seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-2 1-6 7-5 to reach Sunday's showpiece where Swede Soderling will be going for a second consecutive tour title.

Soderling won in Rotterdam last week and looks odds-on for another crown after demolishing the previously in-form Tursunov in one hour and 15 minutes on the indoor hardcourt.

The world number four, who also won the Brisbane [ Images ] title in the first week of the season, sent down 11 aces to the Russian's five to close in on a third title in a year for the first time.

"It's true that my start to the year has been quite incredible," twice French Open [ Images ] runner-up Soderling said.

"Today I perhaps lacked a bit of aggression in the first set. I've already played a final here in 2004 when I lost to Dominik Hrbaty but generally I have such good memories of France [ Images ]. I always play really well here."

Cilic, 22, set up a ninth final of his career in contrasting fashion and will now be gunning for a sixth title in only his second meeting with Soderling.

Soderling prevailed comfortably when he played Cilic on the way to the French Open final last year.

"I had a good attitude," Cilic said. "I always believed in myself even when the score was against me."