Nadal tennis juggernaut out to extend Kiefer title drought

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

TORONTO (AFP) — Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal will face Nicolas Kiefer for the third time in four months in the Toronto Masters final on Sunday as the unstoppable Spaniard aims for a third Masters title of 2008.

Second seed Nadal, playing his first event since beating Roger Federer for the title at the All England club, moved to his ninth final of the season with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 semi-final win over eighth-seeded Andy Murray of Scotland.

Unseeded Kiefer, 31, rolled back three years of injury and poor form, ending the nine-match win streak of Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in their three-hour semi-final struggle.

Nadal has moved even closer to Federer in the rankings race after the Swiss world No.1 crashed out this week in the second round...