CCC Sunday

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By TW Contributing Editor, Andrew Burton

So it comes down to this: can the improbable run of Spanish unknown Rafael Nadal be halted by the wily veteran, Nicolas Kiefer, in this most unlikely match up for the Toronto Masters Final?

No question, the young chap from Mallorca has had a super tournament so far.  He has defeated two seeds along the way, Richard Gasquet and Andy Murray.  Both men are contemporaries, yet, if anything, Nadal looked the more composed player for much of the time he was on court against his opponents.

Spanish players have been accused in the past of being primarily defensive players, but Nadal has shown at this tournament that he's not afraid to go on the offense.  Gasquet was full of praise for the 22 year-old after his loss on Friday, saying "he has an incredible forehand and incredible backhand, physical, so it's really, really hard to win him."

And Murray, playing in his third Masters SF,was gracious in defeat, saying "we played some awesome points, and he just managed to get me on every occasion."

So there you have it.  Can the young Spaniard hold his nerve on the big occasion?  We gonna see.  As always, enjoy today's tennis, and hold off going OT until the conclusion of play.  Ed McGrogan and I will have a wrap up of the match and tournament later.

Note to Pete - is there any way to add a category "tongue firmly in cheek" to the list of tags?  Thanks...