MASON, Ohio, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Third-seeded Serb Novak Djokovic beat second-seeded Rafael Nadal in the semifinals at the $2.615 million Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.
Djokovic won the first set 6-1 and held off a surge by Nadal in the second set to win 7-5 and reach his 15th career ATP final. Nadal's loss snapped the Spaniard's 32-match winning streak.
Despite the loss, the Wimbledon and French Open champion will dethrone Roger Federer as the No. 1 ranked player Aug. 18. Federer has held the top ranking a record 235 consecutive weeks, while Nadal has been No. 2 for a record 158 straight weeks.
Nadal will become just the third Spaniard to take hold of the No. 1 position, joining Carlos Moya (1999) and Juan Carlos Ferrero (2003).
Djokovic will meet eighth-seeded Scotsman Andy Murray in Sunday's final. Murray, 21, advanced to his 10th career ATP final with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over 16th-seeded Ivo Karlovic.
