(updates after first semi-final)
MONTREAL, Aug 13 - Top seed Rafael Nadal remained
on course for a third consecutive title with a battling 6-4 7-5
victory over unseeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu in the
semi-finals of the Montreal Masters on Saturday.
With eight titles so far in 2005 including the French Open,
the Spanish teenager improved his season record to 64-8,
although he did lose a service game for the first time this
week after 51 consecutive holds.
Nadal will face the winner of the second semi-final between
three-times champion Andre Agassi and Montreal-born Briton Greg
Rusedski in Sunday's final.
The Spaniard said he was dreaming of playing a final
against the 35-year-old Agassi, who won the first of his 60
career titles when Nadal was just a year old.
Victory over the 63rd-ranked Mathieu gave Nadal his 15th
consecutive match win and the world number two has lifted clay
court titles at Bastad and Stuttgart since losing in the second
round at Wimbledon in June.
An early break of serve gave Nadal enough of an advantage
to take the opening set and the second appeared to be heading
for a similar conclusion until Mathieu broke to love in the
10th game to halt the Spaniard's charge when he was serving for
the match.
However, Nadal broke back immediately and took the contest
on his second match point, dropping to his knees in delight
when Mathieu's return sailed long after nearly two hours of
play.