Djokovic to face Nadal in China final

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal will renew their rivalry in the China Open final Sunday after both won their semifinals in straight sets at Beijing.

The top-ranked Djokovic improved his perfect record at the tournament to 28-0 with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over David Ferrer of Spain, and Nadal defeated Italy’s Fabio Fognini, 7-5, 6-3.

Nadal leads their head-to-head, 23-21, but hasn’t beaten Djokovic since the French Open final last year.

Djokovic dropped his serve for the first time this week, but broke the fourth-seeded Ferrer six times to close out the match in 74 minutes. In women’s play, Timea Bacsinszky defeated

Ana Ivanovic, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the final and is assured of making the top 10 for the first time in her career.

Bacsinszky will play Garbine Muguruza in the final after the Spaniard defeated Agnieszka Radwanska, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Unseeded Benoit Paire of France upset defending champion Kei Nishikori, 1-6, 6-4, 6-2, to advance to the Japan Open final at Tokyo. He will face topseeded Stan Wawrinka, the French Open champion, who had eight aces to beat Gilles Muller 6-4, 7-6 (5).

After breezing through the opener when he broke Paire twice, Nishikori struggled in the second set and failed to convert any of his five break points. Paire won the set with a powerful backhand winner down the line to break the second-seeded Nishikori, who was bidding for his third Japan Open title.

Paire, who captured his first ATP title at Bastad in July, also beat Nishikori in the U.S. Open first round this year.