• BNP Paribas Open

Ljubicic topples Nadal at Indian Wells

Rafael Nadal battled hard but found Ivan Ljubicic too big an obstacle to overcome © Getty Images

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Saturday tennis gallery

Rafael Nadal was sent crashing out of the BNP Paribas Open, as Ivan Ljubicic booked his place in the final with a 3-6 6-4 7-6(1) win.

The Spaniard is feeling his way back to fitness, having not played since damaging his knee at the Australian Open in January, but his form was good at Indian Wells until his game unravelled during the second set.

He was excellent in the first set, but his level dropped as the Croat levelled the match. The players traded blows in the third set and it was Ljubicic who held his nerve the better in the breaker to end Nadal's bid to defend his title.

Nadal secured an early break in the first set and this enabled him to engage cruise control as he was able to play solid tennis behind his own serve. At 5-3, Nadal cranked it up a gear on the Ljubicic serve. The Spaniard crafted three set points and sealed the opener inside 35 minutes with an exquisite lob over his 6ft 4in opponent.

Ljubicic came under real pressure in the fourth game of the second set, but saved a break point with a fantastic drop-volley and held serve.

The problem Ljubicic faced was that he did not get enough first serves in and was constantly put under pressure by Nadal. Two stunning backhands earned the world No. 3 three break points in game six, but again Ljubicic came through with some inspired play.

After surviving a storm, Ljubicic fashioned a couple of break points of his own and the Nadal serve cracked at the vital moment as a rare double fault handed the Croat the break and he held serve to force a final set.

Ljubicic took the momentum into the final set and a sloppy service game handed the Croat an instant break, but he committed the cardinal sin of not backing up his break with a hold as Nadal hit back.

Games were traded on serve and the match went in to a tie-break. Ljubicic drew the first mini-break with a crunching backhand down the line, as Nadal was punished for some tentative play and the giant right-hander wrapped up the win in a shade over two-and-a-half hours with a stunning forehand down the line.

Ljubicic will face Andy Roddick in the final after the American overcame Andy Murray's conqueror Robin Soderling 6-4 3-6 6-3.

In a see-saw affair, Roddick found the greater reserves after losing the second set and roared on by a partisan crowd he secured his first win over the Swede and first appearance in an Indian Wells final.

"I hit the ball better today than I had this week," Roddick said. "I returned well and took my opportunities when I had them.

"It is good. Hopefully it is fourth time lucky. I feel healthy and good."

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