Nadal is still second best

May 18 2008

RAFAEL NADAL saved his world No.2 ranking by seeing off closest rival Novak Djokovic to reach the Hamburg Masters final.

The Spanish clay king was pushed all the way by the world No.3 before clinching a 7-5 2-6 6-2 win.

In today's final Nadal will resume hostilities with world No.1 Roger Federer who cruised past unseeded Italian Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-1.

Djokovic was aiming to win back-to-back titles after last week's Rome Masters success and the Serb played some spectacular tennis in a thrilling match. He raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set and held two break points to make it 4-0 but Nadal held then took control to win the opener.

Djokovic bounced back in the second but the match was decided early in the third when Nadal broke in the opening game.

He needed five match points to win the last game in a contest that lasted more than three hours and Nadal may feel the pain today.

Federer won in just over an hour and said: "It is good to be in the Hamburg final again. It is good for the confidence ahead of the French Open and I feel ready for Paris."