MADRID, Oct 19: France’s Gilles Simon beat world No 1 Rafael Nadal in a thrilling tussle at the Madrid Masters on Saturday to set up a final showdown with Andy Murray.

British fourth seed Andy Murray had earlier dashed hopes of a final meeting between the world’s top two players when he outgunned second seed Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Simon took almost 3-1/2 hours, saving 17 break points along the way, to record a nailbiting 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 win over Nadal.

There was drama even in the final point as the players and 10,000 spectators held their collective breath for Hawkeye to confirm that Nadal’s final forehand had dropped just long.

Although Nadal won the first set comfortably, the 16th-ranked Simon refused to get overawed by the Mallorcan’s brutish groundstrokes. The two slugged it out in one high-class rally after another and the Frenchman eventually prevailed to level the contest.Nadal broke in the final set but Simon immediately wiped out the advantage and stole the Spaniard’s serve again.

When Simon attempted to serve out for victory, Nadal hit back to win that game. However, the French Open and Wimbledon champion was out-fought in the deciding tiebreak.

Simon said the match changed after he won a marathon second game in the deciding set that went to nine deuces.

While Simon’s run in Madrid means he will leapfrog Richard Gasquet to become the top French player when the new ATP rankings are released on Monday, Nadal was guaranteed the year-end number one spot after Federer failed to reach the final.

After losing to Federer in the US Open showpiece last month, Murray gained sweet revenge by outwitting Federer.

The Scot said on Friday he felt more relaxed than before his straight-sets defeat at Flushing Meadows, and early deliveries of around 220 kph hinted at a closer contest in Madrid.

Former world No 1 Federer won the first set with some attacking tennis but Murray grew in confidence with his serve purring nicely and by the third set the 21-year-old had taken control.

Murray and Simon become the first players since 1993 to beat two different number ones – Federer and Nadal – in one season.

Murray slammed 14 aces, 10 in the final set, but it was testament to Federer’s fearless style that the Swiss saved six break points before finally cracking at 5-5.

The Scot brought up match point with a huge cross-court winner and sealed his third victory over Federer when his opponent dumped the ball into the net.

VENUS MEETS PENNETTA

ZURICH: Venus Williams battled to a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over second seed Ana Ivanovic at the Zurich Open on Saturday to reach her first final since winning Wimbledon in July.

The third seed squandered a 3-0 lead in the opening set before raising her game to avenge her Australian Open quarter-final defeat by Serb Ivanovic.

Williams, still looking to ensure a place at the season-ending WTA Championships, will have the chance for further revenge on Sunday when she takes on unseeded Italian Flavia Pennetta.

Pennetta, the world No 17 who beat Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 7-6, has won her last three meetings with Williams.

Williams made a strong start, breaking Ivanovic early to take her 3-0 lead.

The collapse that followed owed as much to her own wayward play as Ivanovic’s improvements, with the Wimbledon champion first gifting her opponent a break by netting a simple winner.

Williams then made things even easier for her opponent by double-faulting at the end of her next service game, leaving Ivanovic to serve out comfortably for the set.

Following an early trade of breaks in the second, Williams got back on level terms when Ivanovic overhit a forehand to concede the decisive break.

The deciding set went with serve for the first six games until Ivanovic again mishit a forehand to put Williams in front for the first time.

The Serb saved three match points in her next service game, benefiting from a lucky net-cord on the third occasion, but Williams held her nerve to clinch victory with four successive service winners.—Reuters