Rafael Nadal News: was guaranteed to reclaim the world number one ranking after winning his semi-final match of the China Open when Tomas Berdych retired with a back injury during the opening set.
Nadal was up a break point at 4-2 in the first set when Berdych was unable to continue playing after an injury timeout.
Novak Djokovic defeated Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2 in the other semi-final match.
Even if Nadal loses to Djokovic in the final Sunday, the Spaniard will still be ranked number one.
It will be the first time Nadal has held the top ranking since July 2011. Djokovic has been number one for 101 weeks.
Nadal returned in February from a seven-month layoff because of a left knee injury, and has had a dominant year.
He has won 10 titles this year, with an overall 65-3 record, better than any other player. He is 27-0 on hard courts this season, and hasn’t lost a match since Wimbledon in June.
Djokovic is trying to win his fourth China Open title in five years. Image/Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images
