Rafael Nadal has booked his place in the final of the Madrid Open with a 7-6(3) 6-1 victory over Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
The Spaniard was pushed to his limits in the opening set as his opponent saved a break point to take it to 6-5, before Nadal held his serve to force a tie-breaker.
Nadal became too much for Berdych after this point, the latter losing the breaker 7-3 before being broken at the second time of asking in the second set, allowing the home favourite to take control of the match.
The Czech got just one game on the board in the second set as the Spaniard kept his cool to wrap up what proved to be the decider 6-1 and reach his seventh Madrid Open final.
Nadal will face either Andy Murray or Kei Nishikori in the final.
Written by
Mark Langshaw
Mark Langshaw
