Nadal eases into Stuttgart final

Updated 10.08 Wed Jul 25 2007

Keywords: sport, tennis, Stuttgart Cup, Feliciano Lopez, Rafael Nadal

World number two Rafael Nadal has moved smoothly into the final of the Stuttgart Cup with a comfortable 6-1 7-5 victory over Spanish compatriot Feliciano Lopez.

The French Open champion had problems with his right knee earlier in the week and was again strapped up on court.

"My serve was very consistent and that was the key" - Rafael Nadal

But he showed no signs of discomfort as he saw off his close friend, the world number 84, in one hour and 25 minutes.

Lopez was unable to carve out a single break point and Nadal, the top seed, won 41 of 52 points on his serve.

Winner in Stuttgart in 2005, the Majorcan sealed the match on his third match point with a fifth ace.

Nadal said: "The first set went very well but I had to try much harder in the second as he really stepped up his game. My serve was very consistent and that was the key."

He will play either Juan Ignacio Chela or Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka on Sunday in the decider, his 16th successive final on clay.

Nadal is competing in his first tournament since losing the final at Wimbledon to world number one Roger Federer earlier this month.