Nikolay Davydendo beat Andy Roddick 7-6 (5), 6-2 Friday night, setting up a title showdown with Rafael Nadal in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open. Earlier Friday, No. 2-seeded Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-6 (6), 6-2. Davydenko's victory denied Roddick a chance to savor his emotional win 24 hours earlier against Roger Federer, which ended a streak of 11 consecutive losses to the Swiss. Standing 2 meters (6 feet) behind the baseline, the Russian began reading Roddick's booming serves well in the second set and rallied from a break down, winning the final five games. Davydenko, who faced only one break point, has been playing under a cloud because of an ATP investigation into heavy and odd wagering on an otherwise insignificant match he played in Poland last August. Davydenko says he did nothing wrong, and he has criticized the ATP for not reaching a resolution in the case. He's the first Russian man to reach the Key Biscayne final. In the women's final Saturday, Serena Williams seeks her fifth Key Biscayne title and second in a row when she plays No. 4-seeded Jelena Jankovic. Nadal needed seven set points to close out a 73-minute first set against Berdych, then pulled away. Nadal committed no unforced errors in the second set, won 16 of 17 points on his serve and swept the final 12 points. Nadal gleefully skipped at the net when he put away a volley to reach match point. He then hit a forehand winner and sank to his knees in jubilation. “I am playing very well this tournament,” Nadal said. “Today was a great match, too.” The No. 10-seeded Berdych lost his serve for only the second time in the tournament to fall behind 5-3, but he dug in from there. Nadal had a set point in the ninth game, two more in the 10th and three in the tiebreaker before he closed out the set when Berdych double-faulted for the first time. Berdych sagged in the 85-degree sunshine. He began to struggle with his dangerous forehand and finished with 34 unforced errors to 11 for Nadal. __
