Sharapova to meet Li for women's crown ROME — World No. 1 Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in straight sets Saturday and will play Rafa Nadal in the Rome Masters final for the second year in a row. Defending champion Djokovic ended Federer's hopes of back-to-back claycourt titles with a gutsy 6-2, 7-6 victory over the Swiss. Five-time Rome champion Nadal wore down fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 7-6, 6-0 to reach his 70th career final. In their first meeting since last year's US Open semifinal, which Djokovic won, the Serb broke twice to win the first set. Dominating the baseline rallies, top seed Djokovic constantly forced Federer on to the back foot and an errant forehand handed him the break for 4-3 in the second. Suddenly Federer became more aggressive and began to vary his game and when he saved a match point at 5-4 before breaking back, he was back in the match. But Djokovic regained his poise just in time to clinch the tiebreak 7-4 when Federer sent a backhand long. In the first semifinal, Nadal made it 12 wins in a row on clay against Ferrer in a match in which a gruelling first set lasted 86 minutes. Sixth seed Ferrer had the better of it early on and led 3-1 but Nadal fought straight back and after taking the tiebreak 8-6, he ran away with the second. “At the start of the match, David was playing unbelievably,” Nadal said. “My thought was that the best news for me would probably to be level at 3-3. “After the first six, seven games then it was more equal because before that he was playing better than me.” Nadal said he had not played as well as he did in beating Czech Tomas Berdych in the previous round, but used his mental strength to get through. “I was very happy with how I was mentally, because I stayed focused all the time,” he said. Nadal, who will go back above Federer to the No. 2 spot if he wins, said he would need to be at his very best if he is to take the title. “If I play my best clay-court tennis then hopefully I will have my chances,” he said. “It will be an important match to close the clay-court season before Roland Garros with perfect feelings.” Earlier in the day Russian defending champion Maria Sharapova beat Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 to set up a Rome Masters final against Li Na of China. Sharapova advanced in 89 minutes against Kerber, whose move into the WTA top-10 Monday will complete a lineup for 10 different nationalities at the summit of the women's game. Li, who will defend her French Open title when the Grand Slam starts a week from Sunday, reached the title match at the Foro Italico without hitting a ball in her semifinal as opponent Serena Williams withdrew, claiming back pain but admitting the pullout was really just a precaution. “When I was warming up this morning, I was really looking forward to playing against one of the best players ever,” said Li, who has not won a title since her triumph in Paris a year ago. “Of course I'm happy to reach the final but I don't like winning like that. I am so sorry for Serena and hope she gets healthy.” Sharapova earned revenge against 12th seed Kerber after losing to the German at the Paris Indoors in February after beating her only a few weeks earlier in the Australian Open third round. The Russian world No. 2, whose Rome trophy was one of two she lifted in 2011, ended with 27 winners and 25 unforced errors, breaking four times. Kerber managed only nine winners but did put her opponent under pressure in each set before finally losing. Sharapova already owns a clay title in 2012 after winning Stuttgart last month in her debut appearance over No. 1 and main rival Victoria Azarenka. The Russian has advanced into the Sunday title match without losing a set against the only player outside the top-10 to defeat her this season (Paris).
