Nadal to take top spot

Updated 13.23 Sat Aug 02 2008

Keywords: Roger Federer, Cincinnati Masters, Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has guaranteed he will become the third Spanish man to top the world rankings.

His 7-6 6-1 victory over Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters means he will end Roger Federer's four-and-a-half-year reign as world number one on August 18 at the latest.

Nadal could claim the top spot as early as Monday if he takes the Cincinnati title

But Nadal could claim the top spot as early as Monday if he takes the Cincinnati title.

Nadal's win also took him a step closer to a sixth successive tournament triumph, proving he has the ability to dominate on court surfaces other than clay.

After ending Federer's five-year winning run at Wimbledon last month, Nadal has maintained his superlative form on hard courts while his Swiss rival has stumbled to early defeats in the two tournaments he has played since.

If Nadal loses Sunday's Masters final he will top the rankings on August 11, but a semi-final defeat will delay his coronation for another week.