Federer into Madrid final

While superb serving from Federer meant his opponent never came within a sniff of a break during the first set, he let his intensity drop in the second, allowing the Spaniard back into the match.

The start of the third set saw a marked increase in Federer's focus once again, however, and at 4-3 the Swiss moved up another level, sealing the decisive break with a clubbing forehand.

All of which sets up the 21st meeting between the top two players in the world. Nadal currently leads the rivalry 13-7, though it was Federer who triumphed in the final of this tournament last year, beating his rival on home soil in straight sets.

Throughout the first set it was almost impossible to imagine any other outcome, as Federer's serve proved almost untouchable. Indeed it was not until Federer's fourth service game that Ferrer managed to win a point on his opponent's serve, and the constant pressure on the Spaniard finally told when he netted a simple backhand at 5-5.

Federer served out the set with ease, though his first service percentage, previously in the nineties, plummeted to just 48 percent in the second set, with Ferrer taking full advantage, racing to 0-40 at 1-2, before finally converting the last of three breakpoints as he forced Federer into an error on the backhand side.

With the home crowd well behind him and Federer struggling for consistency, Ferrer almost made it a double-break, and although the Swiss managed to remain in touch, Ferrer once again opted to attack the Federer backhand to close out the set and level the match.

Though Ferrer held his first service game of the second set, he was forced to stave off two breakpoints as Federer went on the attack. It was an early indication of what would follow, with Ferrer constantly battling to hold, in marked contrast to Federer, who was racing through his service game with relative ease.

At 4-3 Federer produced a superb forehand crosscourt winner to set up breakpoint, before another big forehand effectively put the match to bed.

Federer then sealed the match fittingly with an ace in the final game to put him in reach of just his second title of the year. All that is in his way now, of course, is his arch-rival Nadal, and what will be a partisan Madrid crowd.