Federer and Blake reach Shanghai final

Switzerland’s Roger Federer and American James Blake, the two group winners at the Masters Cup, will play each other for the title after both posted sparkling wins in today’s semi-finals.

In a terrific battle between the world’s top two players, Federer beat Spanish rival Rafael Nadal 64 7-5, while Blake knocked out defending champion David Nalbandian of Argentina, 6-4 6-1.

Unlike other classic encounters between Federer and Nadal, this was lacking a decisive set. As so often in their previous eight meetings, the two heavyweights brought out the best in each other and produced the finest match of the end-of-year tournament.

Federer made a stunning start as he served three aces in the opening game and broke Nadal in the next. Hardly missing a ball, the world number one hit with such depth and accuracy that Nadal looked like he might be overwhelmed.

But the 20-year-old Spaniard, who has clearly grown in confidence this week after a disappointing run since he lost to Federer in the Wimbledon final, saved two more break-points in the fourth game to take a foothold in the match.

Leading 5-2, Federer lost eight points in a row, including being broken to love when he was attempting to serve for the set.

Typically, though, his response was immediate and immaculate, a stunning mixture of defence and attack to secure him another break for the set.

Nadal saved two more break-points in the fourth game of the second set, and Federer one in the fifth with a blazing forehand down the line. Looking to claim j his third win in nine career meetings, the four-time Wimbledon champion got two match-points with Nadal serving at 4-5. But the fearless left-hander forced Federer into errors and levelled the set.

Two games later, however, after more breathtaking rallies had dazzled and delighted the 15,000 capacity crowd at the Qi Zhong stadium, Federer reached his third match-point and took it superbly.

After pushing each other as hard as they could one more time from side to side, Federer chased down Nadal’s pinpoint drop and, despite nearly being on his knees, fired an incredible cross-court winner beyond the Spaniard’s reach.

Punching the air with delight and roaring in celebration, Federer claimed consecutive victories against Nadal for the first time.

It was also his 91st win of the year and 28th in a row, advancing him to a fourth successive Masters Cup final, a feat only previously achieved by Ivan Lendl.

“It’s a great challenge for me because he’s one-dimensional, he always plays the same way but he does it so well,” Federer said of Nadal.

“It’s a big test for me and I’m happy to come through. These are matches I’m waiting for, to beat the best who are coming after me and I beat him in the last game (between them) of the season.”

Blake, the lowest ranked of the eight players who qualified for this event, needed just over an hour and 15 minutes to power past Nalbandian in their first encounter, making himself the end-of-season American numberone for the first time.

Hitting hard and fast against Nalbandian, who was understandably distracted by the tragic death of his godson earlier this week, Blake opened up a 3-1 lead in the first set.

Nalbandian did break straight back but, in the 10th game, his forays to the net were punished by Blake’s brutal forehands and the American broke him again with another stinging return on his second set-point.

Blake raced to a 4-0 lead in the second set against an increasingly dispirited Nalbandian and although the latter defiantly got one break back, the Argentinian was broken again in the next game to all but settle matters.

Beaming with delight after having reached the best-of-five sets final in his debut appearance, Blake must now prepare to face Federer for the sixth time.

But the trouble is he has only taken one set off he world’s best in five straight defeats, occurring when they last met in the quarter-finals of this year’s US Open.