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David Nalbandian (pictured) continued his giant-killing act on Saturday by knocking out World No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-4, 7-6(4) for a place in the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid final. The 25-year-old Argentine had already beaten World No. 2 and 2005 champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals.

Nalbandian goes on to meet ATP World No. 1 and defending champion Roger Federer in the final on Sunday. Final: Head-to-Head

Should Nalbandian capture his first ATP Masters Series shield he will become the second player this season to beat the Top 3 players in the South African Airways ATP Rankings.

Saturday Semifinal Report: Classy Federer Overcomes Kiefer

At ATP Masters Series Canada in Montreal, during the US Open Series early this year, Djokovic became the first player since Boris Becker at Stockholm in 1994 to defeat the world's top three at the same tournament. Djokovic beat the then No.3-ranked Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals, No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals and Federer in the final.

However, Saturday in Madrid was very different. Djokovic struggled from the very beginning against the in-form Nalbandian.

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Although Nalbandian failed to convert two break point opportunities in the opening game, he sealed the first break of serve for a 3-1 lead. It proved enough to win the first set in 45 minutes. Djokovic had won just six points on return of serve.

The 20-year-old Djokovic regained his composure but missed out on only his second break point opportunity in the 12th game of the second set. As successive forehands pinned Nalbandian behind the baseline, Djokovic hit an angled approach wide of the tramline.

The mistake proved costly as Nalbandian held for the tie-break and gained a crucial mini-break with a great forehand pass. Minutes later the World No. 25 advanced to his first ATP final since Estoril in May 2006 (d. Davydenko).

Watch Match Highlights & Interviews on ATP Masters Series TV

For Djokovic, it was his first defeat since reaching his maiden Grand Slam final at the US Open in September (l. to Federer). Last week, he captured his fifth title of the season in Vienna (d. Wawrinka). He drops to 68-15 for the season.

Djokovic had previously beaten Nalbandian en route to the ATP Masters Series Canada (Montreal) shield in August.

Nalbandian improves to 22-32 lifetime against Top 10 players in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. He takes his place in his fourth ATP Masters Series championship match, and his first since losing to Marat Safin in the 2004 Madrid final.

The 25-year-old Nalbandian will be looking to win his sixth career ATP title on Sunday. Prior to the indoor tournament, his best finish this year came at Barcelona (l. to Ferrer) in May.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Nalbandian: "I played today really well, almost the same as yesterday. Djokovic served really well and played well in a lot of moments but I kept consistent and served even better than yesterday. I think that helped me, and tomorrow I hope to play as well as today."

[On playing Federer in the final]: "You have to play great and that’s it. He has no weak spots. He’s a great player, number 1 in the world. If you want to win you have to do everything very well: you have to attack, return, You have to be really accurate to beat him."

Djokovic: "He deserved to win. He played better. Sometimes you play bad. He was on a role. He beat Rafa [Nadal] and a lot of good players this week. He has a lot of confidence in the court and you can see that. So, he deserved to be in the final, that’s for sure. I was a bit unlucky in the second set. I had ups and downs. I was impatient. I made some mistakes and he was agressive. In some moments when i needed to be more agressive, I wasn’t and that was the outcome."

Saturday: Classy Federer Overcomes Kiefer Challenge
Friday: Federer Books SF Spot; Kiefer Upsets Gonzalez
Friday: Nalbandian Upsets Nadal; Djokovic Stays in Title Hunt
Thursday: Federer Exacts Revenge over Canas
Thursday: Nadal, Gonzalez Advance to Quarterfinals
Wednesday: Nadal, Djokovic Avoid Seed Exodus in Madrid
Wednesday: Gonzalez Survives Test for Third Round Berth
Tuesday: Defending Champion Federer into Third Round
Tuesday: In-form Karlovic Beats 2004 Winner Safin
Monday: Murray Sets Up Second Round Meeting with Chela
Monday: Monaco to Meet Shanghai Hope Haas
Madrid Preview: Well-Rested Federer Embarks on Title Defense
Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid Tournament Profile