The Spaniard reached his first Masters final on hard court since 1000 in Shanghai 2009 • Federer and Djokovic will face the Balearics for the crown of the California desert
The world number one broke a streak of three straight losses to beat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro (6-4, 6-4) after 1 hour and 51 minutes and access to its third final in the Coachella Valley. The Tandil appear on Monday as 51 th ranked in the ATP list.
The duel began Tandil best possible way with a break of serve in the second game and was placed with a 4-1 lead before a Nadal uncomfortable, irregular and ill-advised throw to his left foot.
The Argentine exercised a stranglehold from the bottom of the track and exhibited a powerful service and placed before which the Spanish could not do that, however, woke up with two 'breaks' in a decisive moment that led him to take the lead ( 5-4) and take the set at the first opportunity had.
John Martin, still lacking pace and matches in his legs after nearly a year away from the tracks by a wrist injury, accused the physical demands posed as a rival to face Nadal.
The first set lasted 55 minutes and witnessed the resurgence of world number one who, when you put worse things with a 4-1 win against, gave a lesson in fighting spirit and self-confidence.
The second set was very expensive for the Mallorcan when a new break of serve led to acquire a 4-2 lead. From there, he consolidated his service in such a way that won the final 6-4 5-3 and the game each with a blank.
Balance, record and rewrite legacy The victory left both players tied at four wins and four losses in its direct confrontation, although the previous three games ended in victory for the Argentine. The only player to win the Spanish in four times in a row is Nicolay Davydenko.
The morning will repeat Spanish crown in Indian Wells, a title he already won in 2007 and 2009. In fact, he played end on the roof of the California desert to reach the title game for the third time, equaling the mark of Roscoe Tanner, Yannick Noah, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer. No one held for the fourth time the last game in the Coachella Valley.
Del Potro was trying to become the second Argentine to reach the final in tournament history after Guillermo Vilas in 1977. The only South American player to have won in the California desert was the Chilean Marcelo Rios in 1998.