Rafael Nadal won through to the final of the Mexican Open with a straight-sets victory over Nicolas Almagro on Friday, setting up a clash with another Spanish compatriot and three-time defending champion David Ferrer.
Nadal beat Almagro 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 49 minutes, extending
his perfect record in their head-to-head meetings to 9-0.
Ferrer had to work hard to reach his fourth-straight final here, edging Italian Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1 in two hours and 23 minutes. The decisive moment was the opening game of the third set when Ferrer saw off three break points to hold serve.
Ferrer has won 19 straight matches in this event and on Sunday will be aiming for his third title already in 2013.