Rafael Nadal to face Russian Davydenko in Shanghai Masters final

It’s going to be Spain versus Russia in the final of the 2009 Shanghai ATP Masters as Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Russian Nikolay Davydenko defeated their semifinal opponents in this ATP 1000 tournament.

Nadal progressed to the final after his opponent, compatriot Felicano Lopez retired from the match after twisting his right ankle. The match ended with Nadal leading 6-1, 3-0.

In the other semifinal, sixth-seed Davydenko worked hard and eventually prevailed in three hours to outlast second-seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1).
“He has a lot of rhythm, and he’s playing with a lot of intensity. It’s going to be a really tough match,” Nadal said, referring to Davydenko.

Nadal, seeking his sixth title of the season, lost the number one ranking a few months ago after deciding not to defend his Wimbledon title in order to recover from knee tendinitis.

Davydenko is seeking his fourth title of the season after winning Hamburg, Umag and Kuala Lumpur tournaments.

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