Nadal, Djokovic reach Monte Carlo final

From combined dispatches

MONACO | Rafael Nadal beat Andy Murray 6-2, 7-6 (4) on Saturday in the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters, putting him within one victory of his fifth straight title in this French Open tuneup.

Nadal will play in Sunday’s final against Novak Djokovic, who rallied past Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the other semifinal. Djokovic, a French Open semifinalist the past two years, reached his first Monte Carlo final.

Nadal extended his winning streak at Monte Carlo to 26 matches. The top-ranked Spaniard, preparing for next month’s clay-court major, has not dropped a set at the tournament since the 2006 final against Roger Federer.

“I think he’s the greatest clay-court player ever,” Murray said.

Murray, seeded fourth, rallied from 5-2 down in the second set to push Nadal to play his best tennis after cruising in the first set. At times, Murray was pushed 10 feet behind the baseline, but the defensive strategy afforded the Scotsman little opportunity to attack.

Murray began the second set more aggressively. He held serve at love with a perfect drop shot at 30-0 and a backhand winner on his next point.

Nadal appeared in command at 5-2, but Murray roared back with winners that not even Nadal could chase down. Murray held and kept his opponent behind the baseline, finally converting a break point with a smash that drew him to 5-4.

“To beat him, you have to play great for three, five sets because he’s so solid,” Murray said. “If you give him one chance, he’s one of the best, probably the best, at taking them.”

The players then held to force a tiebreaker, which featured a 29-stroke rally Nadal won with a forehand for a 5-3 lead. Another long rally went Nadal’s way when he found a narrow angle to hit a crosscourt winner for 6-4. He clinched the match when Murray netted a backhander.

Murray took some consolation from having reached a semifinal on clay for the first time.

“I’ve obviously learned a lot this week,” he said. “The way I played at the end will give me a great indication of how I need to play.”

Wozniacki fights for win

CHARLESTON, S.C. | Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the final of the Family Circle Cup, fighting off a furious rally by Elena Dementieva to defeat the tournament’s top seed 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.

Wozniacki meets 16th-seeded Sabine Lisicki, who, after ousting Venus Williams earlier in the week, easily defeated sixth-seeded Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-1.

Dementieva, ranked No. 3, saved three match points in the second set to force a third in a match that lasted almost three hours on the green clay. Wozniacki, seeded fifth, was up 5-2 in the second set, serving for the match, when Dementieva broke her at love.

Dementieva then won her next service game, fighting off three match points, and the next three games to force the third set. When she evened the set at 5-5, Wozniacki threw her racket on the court in disgust.

But Wozniacki, an 18-year-old Dane ranked No. 12, prevailed on her fifth match point. She is looking for her second straight tour victory after winning last week on clay at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.