ATP News : 2005


Nadal beats Ginepri to move into Madrid final

Madrid (dpa) - Rafael Nadal reached the final of the Masters Series Madrid Saturday with a 7-5, 7-6 (7-1) victory over Robby Ginepri to nudge past Roger Federer in the season victory stakes.

The Spanish top seed spent one hour, 41 minutes, fending off a dozen aces from the American but profiting from 35 unforced errors from the 16th seed. Nadal, world number 2 behind the injured Federer, now owns 78 match wins on the season, compared to Federer's 77 as the Swiss sits out the next few weeks with ankle ligament damage.

Nadal will aim to pull level with Federer on 11 titles in 2005 if he wins Sunday's final against either fifth seed David Nalbandian or Ivan Ljubicic. Spain's teenage tennis hero also has the chance to reach a fourth Masters Series trophy in 2005 - the same as Federer - if he wins the indoor trophy.

Nadal came to Madrid after a three-week injury absence for a knee injury. He has been competing this week wearing elastic braces under each knee which he says have been touched by holy water from the shrine of Lourdes, France. But the teenager's game has provided its own miracles as Nadal advances towards his already-secured place in next month's eight-man season-ending Masters Cup in China.

In the first set, Nadal put early pressure on the American, forcing Ginepri to save two break points in the seventh game before netting a forehand which gave the Spaniard a 4-3 lead. But Ginepri, playing in his second Masters Series semi-final in succession after Cincinnati in August, got the break back to level the match at 4-4.

The Spaniard had to work out of trouble on his next serve, recovering from 0-30 in the tenth game. Nadal took a second break of Ginepri after the 16th seed saved a pair of break points with an out-of-the-air return and touch volley. Nadal moved into 6-5 position from a Ginepri error and put the opening set away a game later, 7-5 after 51 minutes with a forehand winner.

Ginepri steadied in the second set until a run of three straight errors handed Nadal break chances in the seventh game. The Spaniard took a 4-3 lead on his second opportunity, with Ginepri dropping serve on a forehand frustratingly long.

The American didn't give up, earning the break straight back to level at 4-all, a repeat of the first-set scenario. Nadal closed out the tiebreaker with ease as Ginepri committed a run of errors to end the afternoon on a downward slide.

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