French Open champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the final of the ATP Masters Series Sony Ericsson Open with a 7-6, (8/6), 6-2 victory over Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych on Friday.
Nadal, the second seed, will play in Sunday's championship match of the 7.54 million-dollar event against the Russian fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko who overpowered US sixth seed Andy Roddick 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in the other semi.
"He's physically so fit," Davydenko said of Nadal. "It's amazing. And for him, I think he doesn't care, playing night session or day session. He runs so much. You know, he fights."
Nadal, seeking a 590,000-dollar top prize, is attempting to become the first Spanish player to win this event. He lost to world No 1 Roger Federer in the 2005 championship. "I arrive here and I practise every day very well," Nadal said. "I said before tournament I was playing very well, and right now I am in the finals. So anything can happen in this final."
The 21-year-old left-handed Spaniard will be seeking his 24th career title and first this season in Sunday's final. Davydenko reached his first final of the year and is the first Russian in the 24-year history of this hardcourt event to play in the championship match.
Davydenko won the opening set over Roddick with a cross-court winner on Roddick's serve, then broke his opponent three times in the second set. "He doesn't give an inch," Roddick said. Roddick, who already has won at San Jose and Dubai this year, appeared poised to win the first set Friday when he forced a mini-break to go ahead 4-3 in the tiebreak.
However, the 26-year-old won the next two points on Roddick's serve, which to that point had been dominant, for a 5-4 lead. Roddick saved one match point to get within 6-5, but Davydenko broke through again to claim the opening set. Roddick stunned Federer in the quarter-finals Thursday, taking only his second victory in 17 career meetings with the Swiss superstar by 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3.
Roddick, the 2004 winner here, is 19-4 this season with titles in San Jose and Dubai, where he defeated Nadal and Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic on his way to the crown.