STUTTGART, Germany — Top-ranked Dinara Safina rallied to defeat Flavia Pennetta 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 today to set up a showdown with Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix.

Kuznetsova defeated second-seeded Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2.

Safina was down 5-4 in the second set but held serve, then broke for a 6-5 lead and held serve. She cruised past a deflated Pennetta in the third.

"I was a bit slow at the start," said Safina, who improved to 6-0 against Pennetta. "And she was playing her best tennis."

Safina, who became No. 1 last week, advanced to her third final of the year. She was runner-up at Sydney and at the Australian Open.

Pennetta, an unseeded Italian ranked No. 14, came close to beating her third top-10 opponent this week. Safina double-faulted to give away an error-filled first set and trailed 3-1 in the second.

But during a changeover, she called for her coach, Zeljko Krajan. She pulled even, dropped her serve again, but battled back and then started hitting winners.

"He was very angry with me, and I changed my game completely," Safina said. "It was smart to call him."

Safina holds a 7-4 record over Kuznetsova.

The fifth-seeded Kuznetsova made the Stuttgart final for the first time after getting knocked out in her three previous semifinals.

"I surprised myself a little bit. I was extremely focused," Kuznetsova said.

She will play either top-ranked Dinara Safina or Flavia Pennetta in Sunday's final.

Kuznetsova improved her career record to 6-4 over Dementieva, who leads the tour with 29 wins this year and has two titles.

In an all-Russian semifinal, Kuznetsova took a 3-1 lead. She set the pace from the baseline, moving Dementieva around the court.

"I wanted to come and be aggressive, I controlled the court," Kuznetsova said.

Dementieva tied it 3-3 but Kuznetsova broke serve again to win the first set.

She also took a decisive 3-0 lead in the second set before reaching her first final of the year. On the final two points, Dementieva she netted what should have been a simple drop volley, then hit a backhand way long to lose the match.

"I was too passive, I didn't attack her," Dementieva said. "I did not play at my high level."

Previously a hardcourt tournament, it's the first indoor event on clay on the WTA circuit.