Commack, NY (My Sportsbook) - Second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt reached Sunday's final at the $380,000 TD Waterhouse Cup -- a final U.S. Open tune-up.

Hewitt had an easy time in his semifinal match against Dmitry Tursunov as the Russian was forced to retire early in the second set. The Australian Hewitt held a 6-3, 1-0 lead before Tursunov called it quits with a back injury on the hardcourts at the Hamlet Golf and Country Club.

"I really couldn't sense that there was something wrong with him," said Hewitt. "I was just trying to play my game out there. I felt like I played a really good first set."

Hewitt will face ninth-seeded Luis Horna in Sunday's final. The 23-year-old Horna bested two-time defending champion Paradorn Srichaphan in a third-set tiebreaker to advance.

The 23-year-old Hewitt has now claimed nine straight matches and is appearing in a tournament final for the third straight event. The former world No. 1 was a finalist at the Tennis Masters Series in Cincinnati where he lost to Andre Agassi and then defeated little-known Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in last Sunday's title match in Washington, D.C.

Hewitt, who has already won three titles this year, will capture the inaugural U.S. Open Series with a win on Sunday.

"I have had a pretty consistent year all year," said Hewitt. "I feel like I've been pretty close in all the Grand Slams this year and hopefully next week I can do it."

Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam champion, is looking to record his 23rd career ATP Tour singles crown.

Horna won by scores of 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5), to reach Sunday's final.

Horna broke Srichaphan in the sixth game of the second set to take a 4-2 lead, before Srichaphan broke back in the seventh game and eventually evened the set at 4-4. But after holding serve in the ninth game, Horna broke the Thailand native to take the second set 6-4 to force the third set.

In the third, Horna grabbed command by breaking in the fourth game to go up 3-1. But Srichaphan fought back to force the tiebreaker.

In the tiebreak, Horna fired his third ace of the match, a 135 m.p.h. blazer, to go up 6-3. Srichaphan then fought off a pair of match points on his serve, but Horna converted his third match point to take the tiebreaker 7-5, and the match.

The 2004 Commack champion will collect $52,000.