Rafael Nadal has little problem vs. Federer

Associated Press

KEY BISCAYNE, FLA.

Rafael Nadal usually receives a trophy when he beats Roger Federer. This time, the reward is a chance to play Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Nadal advanced with surprising ease Friday night, drubbing an erratic Federer 6-3, 6-2.

The Spaniard never lost serve, converted four of five break-point chances and committed only 10 unforced errors to 31 for Federer.

The first matchup in the United States in six years between Rafa and Roger was a clunker instead of a classic, disappointing a capacity crowd that tried in vain to inspire a Federer comeback by chanting his name. They met before the final round for the first time since 2007 because Federer recently slipped from second to third in the rankings and landed in Nadal’s half of the draw.

Now, the No. 1-ranked Nadal and No. 2 Djokovic will play for the championship. Djokovic won the tournament in 2007, while Nadal is seeking his first Key Biscayne title.

Djokovic stretched his winning streak to 25 consecutive matches by beating Mardy Fish in the other semifinal, 6-3, 6-1. Three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova seeks her first Key Biscayne title tonight when she plays 2009 champion Victoria Azarenka.

Nadal vs. Federer generated the buzz of a final, with tickets shortly before the match fetching several hundred dollars. But Federer came out flat, committing four unforced errors to lose serve and fall behind 2-1.

That was part of a stretch where Nadal won 13 of 15 points to take control. He lost only two of 18 points on his serve in the first set.

The restless crowd began chanting “Ro-ger!” in the second set, but some fans would answer with a competing “Ra-fa!” The din didn’t change the course of the match.