STUTTGART: Jeremy Chardy of France mastered windy, wet and cool conditions to defeat German veteran Nicolas Kiefer 6-3,7-5 on Saturday for a place in the final of the Mercedes Cup. Chardy, who is looking for his first career title, will play Victor Hanescu of Romania, who beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2. The fourth-seeded Hanescu, the only seeded player left in the field, lost his first set of the tournament before reaching his first ATP tour final in a year