Top-ranked Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4 to reach the finals of the World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

Nadal, who won the tournament last year, struggled early on with the serve of the No. 6 Czech and the players split the first eight games. But then Nadal used his athleticism to take charge, going wide and hitting a forehand into the corner to break Berdych and go up 5-4. He won the set with a another forehand into the corner that Berdych couldn't return.

Nadal jumped out to a 4-1 lead in second, breaking Berdych twice before the 25-year-old Czech took the next two games to make it 4-3. The two players traded the next two games before Nadal closed out the match with a powerful forehand that Berdych returned into the net.