Els sets up showdown with Cabrera

WENTWORTH, England -- Ernie Els will face Angel Cabrera in the final of the HSBC World Match Play on Sunday after registering contrasting victories in the semifinals at Wentworth.

Els, seeking to add to his record six titles in the lucrative event, had to come from behind four times before beating Sweden's Henrik Stenson 3 & 2.

The South African had been in imperious form in his first two matches, thrashing Colin Montgomerie and Cabrera's fellow Argentine Andres Romero by 6 & 5.

U.S. Open champion Cabrera, on the other hand, was largely untroubled in beating American Hunter Mahan 2 & 1 after moving six holes clear early in the second round.

The 37-year-old Els trailed or most of the first round, but never by more than one -- which was Accenture World Match Play champion Stenson's advantage after 18 holes.

The world No. 5, who will top the European Tour's Order of Merit regardless of Sunday's result, three-putted once and missed several chances.

But he leveled straight away with a 15-foot putt then Stenson three-putted the seventh before Els -- ahead for the first time -- promptly hit a wedge to four feet and then a six-iron almost as close.

Stenson took the next, but Els saved halves with some crucial putts over the next four holes and a bogey on the 33rd hole left the Swede three down again.

"It's been a long tough week, but this is what you play for and it's really satisfying to get there," Els said. "I'm a little drained and I had to dig really deep to stay ahead of Henrik.

"I was awful this morning on the greens but I made a change at lunch time and really tried to push through the ball. You can't afford to be off your game here. If you are, the course will bite you."

Els, who won from 1994-96 and 2002-04 at the course he has helped re-design, will not be playing at the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain on November 1-4.

The tournament clashes with the Singapore Open, with which he has a three-year contract, so Stenson, Cabrera, Padraig Harrington, Justin Rose and Niclas Fasth will have the chance to overhaul him in the money list.

Cabrera can cut Presidents Cup International team-mate Els' lead with victory on Sunday after his comprehensive win over Mahan.

He followed up his semifinal victory over defending champion Paul Casey of England with another fine display which took him to 32 under par for the week.

Cabrera first led when his Californian opponent bogeyed the third hole, and was ahead by three at the turn.

Mahan pegged him back with birdies at 10 and 15, but Cabrera went round in 66 after being conceded an eagle at 18.

He moved six clear in the second round before Mahan fired four birdies in six holes to cut the deficit to two, but it was too late for the American.

And he too considers the West Course among his happiest hunting grounds. He won Europe's PGA Championship in 2005 after two previous runners-up finishes in the tournament.

"I am very happy to be in the final," said Cabrera, who won Europe's PGA Championship in 2005 at Wentworth after two previous runners-up finishes in the tournament.

"I have been hitting the ball very well, especially in the Presidents Cup two weeks ago, and I had very high confidence coming here."

Mahan added: "I felt like I played very well this afternoon -- I was seven under par for 17 holes but I just got a little too far behind. I just wasn't as sharp as him or as good as him for the first 21 holes." E-mail to a friend

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