Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning his men’s singles semi-final match against compatriot Pablo Andujar at the Madrid Masters at the Caja Magica Sports Complex in Madrid, yesterday. Nadal won 6-0, 6-4.
MADRID: Rafael Nadal described reaching the final of the Madrid Masters as a ‘dream’ after he stormed into his seventh consecutive final since returning from a seven-month injury layoff with 6-0, 6-4 win over compatriot Pablo Andujar.
“To be able to return to a final here at home, in Madrid is a dream,” he said.
“I am very happy and thankful for what I have been able to complete during this season.
“To be in the final of this Masters gives me a special excitement, now all that is left to do is wait for the final tomorrow.”
World number 113 Andujar was blown away in the opening set, winning just nine points, as Nadal broke three times to take it 6-0 and the 11-time Grand Slam champion said he was happy with the aggression he showed early on.
“I played very aggressively in the first set. In the second Pablo began to play at a better level and more aggressively.
“I want to congratulate him for his tournament, because this will serve him well for the future.”
Andujar had progressed to his first ever Masters series semi-final and he believes Nadal is in even better than in their only previous meeting at the French Open in 2011 when the seven-time champion at Roland Garros progressed in straight sets.
“I think that Rafa played better. He committed very few unforced errors. In the first set he was very aggressive, and I was a little bit nervous,” he said.
“But I remember that match where in the first set I was also nervous and Rafa committed a few more errors. I was able to step in a little bit more in the court.
“In this case, Rafa was much more superior than me in the first set.”
Victory extended Nadal’s incredible run to 31-2 since returning from the tendinitis problem in his knee.
He is a huge favourite to win his third title in Madrid after a week of surprises which saw exits for the world’s top three ranked players, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.
The 26-year-old will face Stanislas Wawrinka in today’s final.
Wawrinka, the 15th seed, upset sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, runner-up last year to Wawrinka’s Swiss compatriot Roger Federer, in yesterday’s second semi-final.
Wawrinka arrived in Madrid fresh from his victory against David Ferrer in the final in Estoril last weekend, the 28-year-old’s first title since 2011.
He has never beaten Nadal in eight attempts and lost to the Spaniard in the quarter-finals of the 2012 Monte Carlo Masters in their last meeting.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will battle it out for the world number one ranking when they meet in the Madrid Open final today after both came through yesterday’s semi-finals in straight sets.
Current number one, and defending champion, Williams sealed her place in the final as she overcame seventh seed Sara Errani 7-5, 6-2. Sharapova will compete in her first Madrid final after beating Serbian Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3. Williams was first to book her place in the final as she edged a close first set when she broke in the 12th game before comfortably taking the second to progress in just over 90 minutes.
And the 15-time Grand Slam champion was happier with her performance against the Italian than the error-strewn display she produced against Spanish wildcard Anabel Medina Garrigues in the quarter-finals.
“I feel that I played solid. In the second set more than the first I made fewer errors, which was something that I needed to do,” she said. The 2012 Madrid champion insisted she believes she is the world’s best player and is set on retaining her status as number one to prove it.
“I try not to pay too much attention. I always just try to play my game. You’re playing players who you know their strengths and weaknesses.
“Obviously I love being number one. In my heart I feel I’m number one, but also I love to win tournaments.
“So I think if I just win as many tournaments as I can then I’ll continue to be number one.”
Sharapova has the chance to dethrone Williams should she manage a first victory in nine years over the 31-year-old.
The French Open champion has yet to drop a set this week and after a tight start she began to unleash her powerful ground strokes with some authority towards the end of the first set, culminating in a second break of serve which allowed her to take it 6-4.
Ivanovic responded by breaking straight away in the second, but Sharapova roared back and broke in consecutive games to turn the set around and ease into her fourth final in her last four events.
“I thought I played a really good game to get myself back in that second set,” she said.
“Overall I’m pretty happy with the way I played.
“Of course it’s always tough against Serena. I haven’t had a win against her in a long time, but the great thing is that I’m setting myself up in a position where I can try to change that around.”
Agencies
