BASEL, Switzerland — Roger Federer advanced to the Swiss Indoors final Saturday to set up his first title match against Rafael Nadal since May 2013.
The top-seeded Federer eased to a 6-3, 6-4 win in 64 minutes against unseeded Jack Sock of the United States in the semifinals. Earlier, the third-seeded Nadal played his best tennis of the week in beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 7-6 (7).
Almost 2 1/2 years after Nadal beat Federer in two sets for the Rome Masters title, the 34th match-up of their careers will come at Federer's hometown event. "I have played against Roger hundreds of times around the world," said Nadal, who has a 23-10 hold over his old rival.
"In Madrid a couple of times in finals, but I have never played him in his home." Nadal’s victory over Gasquet means fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, along with Japan's Kei Nishikori, complete the eight-man line-up for the ATP World Tour Finals next month.
Ferrer and Nishikori join three-time defending champion and 2008 winner Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, six-time former winner Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych and Nadal in London.
In the quarterfinals on Friday, Federer held off Belgium’s David Goffin 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, Nadal scored a hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Marin Cilic, Sock defeated fellow American Donald Young 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 and Gasquet survived 32 aces from Ivo Karlovic to win at 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (8/6).
