updated 10:48 p.m. ET Aug. 7, 2004

MONTREAL - Amelie Mauresmo survived a first-set tiebreaker and a rain delay and went on to beat Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (6), 6-2 in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup on Saturday.

Mauresmo, who won the event in 2002, will face Elena Likhovtseva, a 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 semifinal winner over French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, in Sunday’s final.

With the victory, Mauresmo extended her domination of Zvonareva, raising her record against her to 4-0.

“I know her game well — what she does well and what she does that’s not so good,” Mauresmo said. “I don’t think she likes my game too much, but this was probably the closest match we’ve played.”

Zvonareva, the 14th seed, broke service in the opening game and led 5-3 in the first set, but let it slip away. She double-faulted twice and hit an easy groundstroke into the net, allowing the second-seeded Mauresmo break back for 5-5.

The 19-year-old Russian went up 5-1 in the tiebreaker, but was unable to hold off Mauresmo’s comeback. The Frenchwoman won the next point by racing in from the baseline to reach a drop shot and drilled it cross court.

From that point, Mauresmo controlled the match.

“It pumped me up,” she said. “I just thought I had a small chance to come back in the tiebreaker, so I kept fighting. I fought on that ball at 5-1 and it went my way.”

Mauresmo fired an ace to take a 7-6 lead. After Zvonareva double-faulted on set point, she banged her racket on the court in frustration.

Mauresmo broke service again for a 2-1 second-set lead when the rains came and delayed play for 52 minutes.

Likhovtseva reached the final with her fourth straight upset. The Russian has beaten eighth-seeded Nadia Petrova, 11th-seeded Francesca Schiavone, fifth-seeded Jennifer Capriati and countrywoman Myskina, the No. 3 seed.

“After the match, there were no emotions because it’s tough to play against your friend,” said Likhovtseva, who reached the final of a Tier-1 event for the first time. “I just feel really calm and confident, and usually I wouldn’t be.

“When I go out there, I’m just thinking of fighting and running down every point and not thinking about the score, or what’s going to happen if I win the match, or other bad things.”

Likhovtseva relied on a tenacious baseline game and took advantage of Myskina’s errors. her opponent’s errors. The French Open champion had her serve broken three times in the first set and once in the second.

Likhovtseva led 5-3 in the second set and was two points from victory when she developed blisters on her left heel. Myskina rallied to win the set, and Likhovtseva called in the trainer to bandage the heel.

After dropping the first two games of the third set, Likhovtseva won four in a row. Myskina tied the set at 4-all, but Likhovtseva then broke service on a long game that ended when on a net cord.

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