Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal will clinch his fourth Madrid Masters title if he beats Kei Nishikori. Reuters

Defending champion Rafael Nadal faces Kei Nishikori in the final of the 2014 Mutua Madrid Open at Estadio Manolo Santana, Spain, on Sunday.

Where to Watch Live

The match is set to begin at 6:15pm BST. Live coverage is on Sky Sports 3 and Sky Sports 3 HD. Real-time internet updates and the live streaming link are available on the ATP official website.

Overview

Nadal is on course to become the first player to defend the Madrid Masters title. The world no 1 defeated Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-4, 6-3, in the semi-final on Saturday. The Spaniard needed one hour and 43 minutes to knock his 26-year-old compatriot out of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Nishikori is hunting for the first Masters title of his career and progressed into the final for the first time. The 24-year-old prevented an all-Spanish final by defeating David Ferrer in a feisty contest that lasted nearly three hours.

Trailing 2-5 in the first set, the 10<sup>th seed bounced back to draw first blood by winning 7-6 (5) in the tiebreaker. However, Ferrer fought back to clinch the second set in the tiebreaker, 7-5, forcing the game into a deciding set.

However, Nishikori ensured a tiebreaker did not dawn upon the third set and won, 6-3, to pave his way into the final.

Nadal will be looking to carry this winning momentum into the Internazionali BNL d'Italia before the start of the French Open. Having already defeated three Spaniards en route to the final, Nishikori will be looking to add a big scalp to his name by denying the 13-time Grand Slam winner a fourth Madrid Masters crown.

Route to Final

Rafael Nadal

  • First Round: Bye
  • Second Round: 6-1, 6-0 v Juan Monaco
  • Third Round: 6-1, 6-4 v Jarkko Nieminen
  • Quarterfinal: 6-4, 6-2 v Tomas Berdych
  • Semi-final: 6-4, 6-3 v Roberto Bautista Agut

Kei Nishikori

Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori reacts after beating world no 5, David Ferrer in the semi-final. Getty Images
  • First Round: 6-4, 6-4 v Ivan Dodig
  • Second Round: 6-3, 6-1 vGuillermo Garcia-Lopez
  • Third Round: 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) v Milos Raonic
  • Quarterfinal: 6-4, 6-4 v Feliciano Lopez
  • Semi-final: 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-3 v David Ferrer

Head-to-Head

Nadal holds a 6-0 lead over Nishikori in overall meetings. The pair have clashed thrice in Grand Slam events where the Spaniard has prevailed on all occasions.

Mutua Madrid Open History

Nadal and Nishikori are facing each other for the first time in Madrid Masters.

Rafael Nadal