Top seed Rafael Nadal profited from the ninth retirement of this week's Shanghai Masters as he advanced into the final 6-1, 3-0 after fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez retired with a right ankle injury
Top seed Rafael Nadal profited from the ninth retirement of this week's Shanghai Masters as he advanced into the final 6-1, 3-0 after fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez retired with a right ankle injury.
Nadal, an injury victim himself twice this season and still on his way back to full fitness, will play for his fourth Masters 1000 title of the season against Nikolay Davydenko on Sunday
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Two hot! Rafael Nadal |
Nikolay Davydenko |
The Russian, out for nearly three months with a foot and ankle problem, ended a lengthy confrontation by racing through a third-set tie-break to sweep past second-seed Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/1).
Nadal and Davydenko last met in April in Barcelona, with the Spaniard emerging victorious.
"But I'm in the final and that's good for me. It's the first final since my comeback, so I'm very happy," Nadal said.
"Davydenko is playing well with a lot of rhythm. I'll have to play my best to beat him," added Nadal, who is is seeking his first title since Rome in May and the sixth of this season.
In the first semi-final Djokovic said Davydenko was in fine form. "I played a great match but he was too good."
