Roger Federer extended his winning streak to 28 consecutive matches by defeating Rafael Nadal 6-4, 7-5 in the Masters Cup semifinals in Shanghai on Saturday, putting him one victory away from a third Masters Cup title.
The win was only Federer's third in seven career meetings with Nadal. He sealed the match on his third match point with a sharp crosscourt winner after nearly two hours of play, finishing with seven aces, 29 winners, and three breaks of serve from 13 opportunities.
The result pushed Federer's season record to 91-5, making him the first player in more than 20 years to reach 90 wins in a single season, a mark last approached when Ivan Lendl went 106-9 in 1982. Federer also became the first player since Lendl to reach four straight season-ending championship finals.
"It lived up to the expectations, it was a great match," Federer said of the semifinal clash. In the final, he will face either David Nalbandian or James Blake, who meet in the second semifinal.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.