Murray stuns No. 1 Nadal to reach Toronto final

Andy Murray's other win over Rafael Nadal this year came when the Spaniard was injured at the Australian Open.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Andy Murray keeps Rogers Cup title defense alive by beating world No. 1 Rafael Nadal
• Fourth seed will face either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final in Toronto
• Murray avenged his defeat by Spaniard Nadal in Wimbledon semifinals

RELATED TOPICS

• Andy Murray
• Rafael Nadal
• Novak Djokovic
• Roger Federer
• Tennis

(CNN) -- Defending champion Andy Murray defeated world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Saturday to march into the final of the Rogers Cup in Canada.

Fourth seed Murray avenged his defeat by the Spaniard in the Wimbledon semifinals as he triumphed 6-4 6-3 in the Toronto semifinal to set up a clash with either former No. 1 Roger Federer or No. 2 Novak Djokovic.

The 23-year-old Scot beat the 2008 champion for just the fourth time in 12 career meetings after his victory in a match which saw neither player serve to the best of their ability.

Nadal was successful with just 61 percent of his first serves, while Murray could manage only 46 percent of his.

"To win against him in the first big hardcourt tournament was a big boost for my confidence," Murray told Sky Sports. "I obviously played very well, didn't make too many errors and dictated a lot of points from the back of the court."

Murray followed up his crushing quarterfinal victory in-form David Nalbandian to boost his hopes of winning a first Grand Slam event at next month's U.S. Open, where in 2008 he lost in the final to Federer.

He broke Nadal in the eighth game of the first set, and then again to go 2-1 up in the second.

Nadal came to life as he won on Murray's serve in the sixth game and then went 4-3 up, but then gave up three break-points in the ninth game.

He saved two of them but then put a backhand into the net, and Murray served to 40-0 in the next game before Nadal saved one match-point and then capitulated.

The victory means Murray will keep his world No. 4 ranking ahead of the next event in the hardcourt season in Cincinnati. He has yet to win a title this year, losing in the finals of the Australian Open and in Los Angeles two weeks ago.

Swiss star Federer, like Nadal a two-time winner in Toronto, can move back above Djokovic in the rankings if he beats the Serbian in Saturday's second semifinal.