Rafael Nadal moved closer to his first trophy in almost a year Saturday with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Spanish compatriot David Ferrer to reach the final of the Monte Carlo Masters. Nadal will play in the final fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who defeated top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-2, 6-2 in the second semifinal. His potential sixth title win at the seaside venue would be unprecedented. Nadal's last title came over Djokovic in the Rome final last May. Nadal was broken in the penultimate game, up a set and a break as he was when he lost Masters 1000 semifinals last month in Indian Wells and Miami. He quickly broke Ferrer back to earn the win in 75 minutes with 14 winners and 15 unforced errors. “I maybe thought about those semifinals during the last games,” said Nadal. “I was a bit too defensive, but if I get in hat situation tomorrow hope to correct it. “It's a dream to be in a sixth final at Monte Carlo, I played well in the first set and at the start of the second. It's great to start the clay season like this. I'm playing well and I'm very happy with my game.” Nadal improved to 10-3 over Ferrer, playing his first semifinal in the principality. Nadal broke twice in a brief opening set, with Ferrer again trailing to after Nadal broke for 2-1 in the second set. The Spanish second seed improved his record to 20-4 on the season and marked his 31st straight victory in Monte Carlo, where he last lost a match in 2003 while not playing in 2004 due to injury. Victory continues Spanish domination in the principality, with an Iberian in the final for a sixth straight year and eighth in the past nine (Argentine Guillermo Coria won in 2004). Before Nadal, Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero claimed title honors in 2002 and 2003. Injury ends Wozniacki's bid In South Carolina, Caroline Wozniacki's bid for a second title in two weeks came to a shuddering halt when she retired injured from her semifinal at the Family Circle Cup Saturday. The top-seeded Dane, who clinched her seventh career title in Ponte Vedra, Florida last week, quit while trailing Russia's Vera Zvonareva 5-2 in the opening set after injuring her right ankle in a tumble. In the previous game, Wozniacki had tripped while sliding in for a drop shot. After being helped from the court, she had her ankle taped up and played one more game before pulling out. In Sunday's final, seventh-seeded Zvonareva will meet fourth seed Samantha Stosur of Australia. Stosur, a renowned doubles player, came from 5-3 down in the second set to beat eighth-seeded Slovak Daniela Hantuchova 6-3, 7-6 in their semifinal. Schiavone wins Barcelona In Spain, top-seeded Francesca Schiavone has beaten Italian compatriot Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-1 to win the Barcelona Ladies Open. Schiavone broke her friend and defending champion five times and saved all three break chances in Saturday's hour-long final. Schiavone's third career WTA Tour title ended unseeded Vinci's 9-0 winning run in the tournament, including a win over Schiavone in last year's semifinals.
