Top-ranked Roger Federer of Switzerland and defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain will meet in the Monte Carlo Masters final after winning their semifinals on Saturday.
Federer beat 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 6-2, 6-4, and second-ranked Nadal downed Gaston Gaudio of Argentina 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.
Federer reached his 12th consecutive final, equalling John McEnroe’s mark set in 1984. Only Guillermo Vilas (13 straight in 1977) and Ivan Lendl (18 between 1981 and 1982) have reached more in a row.
Federer has won the last four Masters series he has played — at Hamburg, Cincinnati, Indian Wells and Miami — and will extend his Masters winning run to 30 games with victory over Nadal.
Nadal leads Federer 3-1 head-to-head and Sunday’s match will be their first outdoor meeting since Nadal topped Federer in the French Open semifinals last June. Federer’s only loss in 34 matches this year was to Nadal at Dubai.
Nadal extended his winning streak on clay to 41 matches, the third-longest in the Open era. However, he dropped his first set since July in the final at Bastad, Sweden, against Tomas Berdych.
Only Bjorn Borg, with 46, and Vilas, with 53, have won more straight matches on clay than French Open champion Nadal has.
”He was actually too good,” 2004 French Open champion Gaudio said. ”I played a great first set and then he was playing much better than me.”
In a match lasting two hours, 39 minutes and featuring spectacular lobs, drop shots and improbable retrieves, Gaudio looked to test Nadal’s weaker backhand early.
Nadal’s booming ground strokes often came straight back at him, as Gaudio’s baseline defence and excellent backhand frustrated the Spaniard.
Nadal’s superior strength kept him in the first set, but he sliced into the net to give Gaudio the break for 6-5 — and the Argentine closed out a 78-minute set on serve.
”We were so tired after the first set, neither of us could run any more,” said Gaudio, who is 3-3 against Nadal after losing the last three. ”He took advantage of that and he deserved it.”
Under a clear, sunny sky, Nadal started the second set brightly, winning his opening service game to love. Gaudio also held, but then lost the next five games.
Walking back to his chair, Gaudio screamed and twice smashed his racket into the ground, collecting an umpire’s warning for racket abuse.
Gaudio jokingly tugged at the umpire’s chair as if to unseat him and engaged in good-humoured banter with some of the crowd.
In the decider, both players lost their opening serves, and then Nadal won five games straight. He saved one break point at 4-1, and won when Gaudio’s loose forehand volley bounced out. — Sapa-AP