The world number two Rafael Nadal has profited from the ninth retirement of this week's Shanghai Tennis Masters, advancing to the finals after fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez retired with an ankle injury.
Nadal, an injury victim himself twice this season, will play his fourth Masters 1000 title of the season, against Nikolay Davydenko after Lopez retired trailing 6-1 3-0.
Davydennko, who was out for nearly three months with a foot and ankle problem until the spring, beat No.2 seed Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7/1).
Nadal has already qualified for the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London from November 22nd and Davydenko moved into provisional seventh in the chase for one of the last three spots in the field.
Nadal leads his career series with the Russian, having taken a victory in the pair's last meeting in the April Barcelona semi-finals.
Nadal will be seeking his first title since Rome in May and the sixth of his season.
Lopez, ranked 41st, followed Andy Roddick, Juan Del Potro and six others in failing to finish, a situation which has prompted calls from players for the 11-month ATP season to be shortened.
