With a 7-5, 7-6(4) defeat over Tomas Berdych, Rafael Nadal is set for the the final at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati on Sunday. His opponent is John Isner of  USA.

Date: Sunday August 18, 2013

Time: 6:30 pm CET, 5:30 pm BST, 12:30 pm local

Live Stream:  Fromsport and ATDHE

Rafa and Isner have played three times, with Rafa defeating Isner in every match. Their last meeting was in the 2011 French Open. Rafa is 1-0 on hard, 2-0 on clay (two of the three meetings have gone to a decisive set). This is the first time they are meeting in a final.

Nadal has a career 24-4 vs. players ranked outside the Top 10 in finals, losing to No. 73 Horacio Zeballos at 2013 Vina del Mar, No. 19 Mikhail Youzhny at 2007 Chennai, No. 21 David Nalbandian at ‘07 ATP Masters 1000 Paris and No. 54 Dominik Hrbaty at’04 Auckland. If he wins the title, Nadal will move from No. 3 to No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday. The last time he was No. 2 was the week of July 2, 2012 (second week of Wimbledon).

Rafa is trying to win his career-best fifth ATP Masters 1000 title of the season (Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, Montreal). He  is trying to win his seventh different ATP Masters 1000 title in his career.

Nadal is appearing in his 37th career ATP Masters 1000 final (25-11 in finals, 7-6 on hard). He is appearing in his 82nd career ATP World Tour level final (58-23 overall, 8-2 in 2013). He is 13-14 lifetime in hard court finals. He is trying to win back-to-back hard court finals in successive weeks for the first time in his career. Nadal has won a career-best 14 straight hard court matches this year (14-0) and he is 15-1 vs. Top 10 opponents. The Mallorcan is 52-3 overall this season and he’s appearing in his 11th final in 12 tournaments. The last left-hander to win here was Guy Forget in 1991.

Source: ATP World Tour