• Madrid Masters

Nadal exposed in semi-final win over Almagro

ESPN staff
May 15, 2010
Rafael Nadal was made to fight tooth and nail against Nicolas Almagro © Getty Images
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Nicolas Almagro showed the way to beat Rafael Nadal on clay but ultimately failed to complete the mission himself as the world No. 3 booked a place in the final of the Madrid Masters.

Nadal had not lost a set or dropped his serve all week going into Saturday's semi-final, yet Almagro broke him three times in the first set alone to stun the Madrid crowd. However, the world No. 34 just did not have enough in the tank to chalk up a maiden victory over his compatriot, losing 4-6 6-2 6-2.

Nadal had beaten his rival on all five of their previous meetings, yet Almagro's approach seemed foreign to the heavily-fancied left-hander. Using plenty of spin and a clear tactic to straighten Nadal up before sending him wide, Almagro gave plenty of tips to Roger Federer and David Ferrer - one of whom will meet Nadal in the final.

The first set was all Almagro as the 24-year-old looked to make the most of his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final. By stepping inside the baseline behind his rapid first serve, Almagro finished points quickly to rack up three breaks. Nadal did stage a comeback with two of his own, but he then failed to convert two break points at 5-4 as Almagro served out the set.

Nadal simply does not lose on clay though, winning 13 of 13 games prior to the weekend, and he had only dropped one set in 27. In fact, his serve had been broken only four times in 114 games. And after surviving two break points in the third game of the second set, he set about turning the match on its head.

Two breaks of serve restored parity at one set apiece, with Almagro now missing the winners that set him apart at the start of the contest. And Nadal then broke at the beginning of the third to leave his opponent shaking his head.

Victory eventually arrived after two hours and 16 minutes, guaranteeing Nadal a return to the world No. 2 position when the rankings are released on Monday. And if Federer overcomes Ferrer later on Saturday, Nadal will have a chance to avenge last year's defeat to the Swiss.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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