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Federer to meet Nalbandian on home soil

Roger Federer has won 14 straight matches at the Swiss Indoors
Roger Federer has won 14 straight matches at the Swiss Indoors

Top seed Roger Federer advanced to the final of his home Swiss Indoors tournament with a 6-3 6-2 win over Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

The Swiss superstar will go for his third straight title at the event when he faces second seed David Nalbandian, who claimed a 6-4 6-4 victory over third seed Juan Martin del Potro in an all-Argentinian semi-final.

Also a finalist in 2000 and 2001, Federer has won 14 straight matches at this event and the reigning US Open champion will secure his fourth title of the season should he extend that streak.

While Federer has now won all seven career meetings against Lopez, his encounters with Nalbandian have been far less predictable.

The 13-time major champion has won nine of 17 encounters with Nalbandian, who won both of their previous final showdowns.

Nalbandian has also enjoyed some success in this tournament, winning in 2002 and finishing runner-up twice.

His win over del Potro was a statement, as Nalbandian is trying to hold off the 20-year-old for the title of Argentina's top player.

This was the second time in as many tournaments that the countrymen have squared off as Del Potro earned a third-round triumph last week at Madrid.

Del Potro, who lost for just the fourth time in 39 matches, had never won an ATP singles title until this past summer, when he reeled off 23 consecutive wins that culminated in four straight championships.

He has risen from 81st to ninth in the rankings this year and is just one place behind Nalbandian.

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