Rafa Nadal, the first finalist in Miami

World number two Rafa Nadal defeat Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 (6) 6-2 to book his place in the final of the Miami Masters for the second time.

Nadal looked to have won a see-saw first set when he broke the Czech number one in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead, but Berdych saved a set point and broke back in the next game to get back on serve. Berdych then appeared to have the French Open champion under his thumb in the tie-break after saving three more set points, but he handed Nadal the opener on a silver platter with a double fault on set point number five. After a gruelling opener lasted 70 minutes Nadal took complete command of the match, starting the second set with an imposing break to 15 after dominating a series of baseline rallies.

After a love-service game in the sixth game Nadal broke again, this time to love, in the seventh, and closed out the victory with a love service game to end the match by taking 12 straight points. Nadal, who failed to beat Berdych in three previous meetings on hardcourts and is still looking for his first title of 2008, improves his lifetime record to 4-3 against the world number 10. "For me (it's) going to be very important because to play a final in a Masters Series event, up against the big players, I know I need to play at my best level," Nadal said.
"I think I am playing this tournament very well and today was a great match too," said Nadal. "The first set was tough, especially at the end, because I had a lot of chances.