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The Swiss outlasted Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-4 in a match where the top seed had to pry open the door on the German's game, converting on only two of a dozen break points.

 Federer has a score to settle with unseeded Argentine Nalbandian, who booked his place as he crushed the hopes of Novak Djokovic for a sixth title run this season.

 The South American advanced in their semi-final 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

 Nalbandian was the last man to beat Federer indoors, at the 2005 Masters Cup final in Shanghai. "I like indoors," said the Swiss. "There's  no wind, no sun, everything's easy. We've had good matches in the past."

   Federer was last beaten on the ATP in the Montreal final in August, losing to Djokovic.

 But the Swiss finds his game in perfect order with the Madrid final and events in Basel and Paris on his calendar before defending his title in Shanghai at the year-end wrapup from November 1.

 The Swiss leads the Argentine 8-6 and has won four matches since the loss in Shanghai.

 Federer admitted that his win over Kiefer lacked dramatics.

 "We had a siesta out there in the first set, there not much to excite the crowd. It was very subdued and with not a lot of great shots.

 "We finished a lot of points on errors. But I was ahead in the score and he had the pressure.

 "It was not the best match but I'm happy that I won."

   Djokovic, world number three with Masters trophies in 2007 from Miami and Montreal, was unable to make an impression in the one-hour, 40 minute contest which saw Nalbandian through to his first final in nearly a year and a half.

 "Djokovic is a player who moves very well, it's very difficult to break his serve," said Nalbandian. "It's tough to know what he's going to do.

 "I just tried to hang in throughout the match and play my game."

   Nalbandian, ranked 25th, has had little to show this season, managing a Barcelona quarter-final in April but staying well under the radar.

 The former Top five standout played the Madrid semis a year ago and in 2005 and also finished runner-up to Marat Safin three years ago.

 Djokovic was on a 10-match win streak, including two Davis Cup rubbers and last week's title in Vienna indoors. The 20-year-old lost the US OPen final to Federer.

 Djokovic, winner of five titles in 2007, had been looking to enter his eighth final of the season.

 "Today I felt really exhausted. It came after a long two weeks, playing day after day. I wasn't fresh today as I could be," said Djokovic.

 "He deserved to win, he played better," said the Serb. "It happens, sometimes you play bad.

 "He was the better player, we have to turn a page."      Nalbandian needed only one early break to control the 44-minute first set and kept up the pressure in the second.

 Djokovic recovered from 0-30 in the 11th game for 6-5, but Nalbandian did the same, saving a set point to bring on a tiebreaker.

 Nalbandian's heavy game came into prominence, with the Argentine racing out to 5-2 and reaching four match points. Djokovic saved two but couldn't touch a Nalbandian service winner on a third.

 Djokovic struck 23 unforced errors and was unable to convert on either of his two break points.

 Nalbandian has re-discovered his game after 14 months without a coach after taking on Martin Jaite over the summer.