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Nadal to meet resurgent Kiefer; Paes-Dlouhy pair loses

— PHOTO: AP

ON COURSE: Rafael Nadal overcame Andy Murray to enter the Rogers Cup final.

TORONTO: World No. 2 Rafael Nadal battled to a scrappy 7-6, 6-3 win over Briton Andy Murray on Saturday to set up a Toronto Masters final against resurgent German Nicolas Kiefer.

Nadal, playing his first event since his epic win over Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final, has made a smooth transition from grass to the North American hardcourts.

Winning streak

The Spaniard’s victory stretched his winning streak to 28 matches and left him on course for a fifth consecutive title following wins at Wimbledon, Queen’s, Roland Garros and Hamburg.

“My only expectation is to try and play a good match and if possible win the title,” Nadal, who won his first career hardcourt title in Canada in 2005, told reporters.

“I said when I arrive here I don’t think about number one, I don’t think about the hardcourt season or U.S. Open or Olympics, I think about Toronto.

“Toronto is very important tournament. It’s the first big tournament on hard after the clay and grasscourt season, so my goal is try to play a good tournament here.”

Standing in Nadal’s way is the experienced Kiefer, who outlasted in-form Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 to continue his bid for his first ATP title since 2000.

In four career meetings, Murray had never beaten Nadal but appeared eager to put that right, matching the muscular Spaniard, shot-for-shot during a tense opening set that failed to produce a break.

Knee taped

Nadal dominated the tiebreak 7-2 after which Murray called for the trainer and had his right knee taped.

The Briton continued to battle in the second until Nadal took control, sweeping through the last three games.

The 31-year-old Kiefer needed all his experience and three hours to beat his 23-year-old opponent, who has had a superb start to the North American hardcourt season.

Simon arrived in Toronto after winning the Indianapolis title and was on a run of nine victories including a second-round upset of Federer.

Meanwhile in doubles, Leander Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy crashed out with a straight-set defeat at the hands of second seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic in the semifinals.

The seventh seeded Indo-Czech pair went down 3-6, 6-7(5) to Nestor and Zimonjic, who are now into their sixth straight final.

The second-seeded Canadian-Serbian duo will now attempt to clinch its third straight title when it faces top seed and two-time champion Mike and Bob Bryan.

Safina stops Jankovic

At Los Angeles, Dinara Safina stopped Jelena Jankovic’s quest to take the world’s No.1 ranking and swept into the final of the East West Bank Classic with 7-6(3), 6-1 win on Saturday.

She will next meet Flavia Pennetta, a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 winner over unseeded American Bethanie Mattek in the other semifinal.

Jankovic would have taken the No. 1 ranking from Serb compatriot Ana Ivanovic had she won this tournament. “Hopefully, my time will come,” Jankovic said. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Pulls out

In doubles, Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek bowed out after retiring midway through their semifinal match here.

The second seeds were trailing 2-6, 1-2 when they pulled out of their match against the Czech pair of Eva Hrdinova and Vladimira Uhlirova.

The Indo-American pair had to pull out after Mattek complained of a low back injury.

The results (all semifinals):

At Toronto (Rogers Cup): Singles: Nicolas Kiefer bt Gilles Simon 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(5); Rafael Nadal bt Andy Murray 7-6 (2), 6-3. Doubles: Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic bt Leander Paes & Lukas Dlouhy 6-3, 7-6(5); Mike & Bob Bryan bt Paul Hanley & Jordan Kerr 6-3, 6-4.

At Los Angeles (East West Bank Classic): Singles: Dinara Safina bt Jelena Jankovic 7-6(3), 6-1; Flavia Pennetta bt Bethanie Mattek 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Doubles: Eva Hrdinova & Vladimira Uhlirova bt Sania Mirza & Bethanie Mattek 6-2, 2-1, retd.; Chan Yung-Jan & Chuang Chia-Jung bt Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-7.

At Portoroz (Slovenia Open): Sara Errani bt Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4; Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Julia Goerges 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. — Agencies

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