Rafael Nadal reacts after beating Richard Gasquet.
BASEL, October 31 – Rafael Nadal beat Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-6 (9/7) to reach his first career final at the Swiss Indoors on Saturday and knock the Frenchman out of the race for the World Tour Finals.
The win by the Spanish third seed also settled the field for the eight-man season wrap-up in London from November 15, with Japan’s Kei Nishikori and David Ferrer of Spain taking the last two spots.
Nadal will play either Roger Federer or American outsider Jack Sock in Sunday’s final in Basel.
Top seed Federer is bidding for a seventh title at his hometown event.
Federer, Nadal, world number one Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych make up the World Tour Finals field.
“I am very excited to qualify for London for the second year in a row,” Nishikori wrote on Facebook.
“It’s always a big goal at the beginning of the year to make it to London so I am proud of the year I am having so far.
“Last year there were was a lot of support and I am really looking forward to coming back to the O2 Arena.”
