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Roger Federer of Switzerland, No. 1 all-time in Grand Slam victories, is a win away from becoming No. 2 in the world.
© Jasper Juinen/Getty Images
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MADRID (AP) - Roger Federer is one win away from displacing Rafael Nadal as the second-ranked player after beating Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets to reach the Madrid Open final on Saturday.
The Swiss star cruised by the seventh-seeded Serb 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the final against Tomas Berdych, who edged Juan Martin del Potro 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) in the other semifinal.
While both Nadal and top-ranked Novak Djokovic vowed to never again play on Madrid's new blue-clay court after early exits, Federer's more technical style has not been overly hampered by the surface many players have criticized as slippery.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion has not been ranked No. 2 since March of 2011.
Nadal lost to Fernando Verdasco in the third round.