Dent eases into final

Taylor Dent, a former Corona del Mar High standout, breezed into the

finals of the Next Generation Clubs Australian men’s hardcourt

championships with a 6-1, 6-1 upset victory over Juan Ignacio Chela

Saturday in Adelaide, Australia.

The fifth-seeded Dent needed just 49 minutes to get past the No. 4

seed in one semifinal, a day after downing top seed and Australian

native, Lleyton Hewitt.

The 23-year-old Dent, who reached the semifinals of the Athens

Olympics, defeated Hewitt, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in the quarterfinals Friday.

Dent, who reached the semifinals of this tournament last year,

will appear in his sixth career final seeking his first tour win

since 2003 when he meets second-seeded Joachim Johansson today.

Against Chela, Dent tallied 10 service aces and raced through the

first set in 17 minutes en route to his seventh victory in eight

career matches in the tournament, which is a tuneup for the year’s

first major, the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 17.