Ferrer, Nadal to play for Mexican title

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ACAPULCO, Mexico, March 2 (UPI) -- David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal created a high-profile championship showdown Friday by winning their semifinal matches at the Mexican Open.

Ferrer reached the title match by outlasting Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 and Nadal earned his spot in the finals by defeating Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-4. Nadal improved to 9-0 against Almagro.

The top-seeded Ferrer, ranked fourth in the world, has won tournaments this year in Brisbane and Buenos Aires. He reached the semifinals at the Australian Open before losing to world No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Nadal, with a world ranking of No. 5, is playing in his third tournament since leaving the ATP Tour with a knee injury following the Wimbledon Championships last July. He won an event earlier this year in Sao Paulo and lost in the finals to Horacio Zeballos in Chile.

Nadal and Ferrer have met 20 times in their careers with Nadal holding a 16-4 advantage. Nadal has won their last five meetings, the most recent one coming in last year's French Open semifinals.