By Nick Georgandis
TennisNow.com
A pair of dueling Davids: One trying to prove he belongs among the game's elite, the other trying to fight his way back there, will meet Friday in the final of the Heineken Open in Auckland.
No. 1 seed and world-ranked No. 7 David Ferrer of Spain will square off for the title against Argentina's David Nalbandian, presently ranked 27th.
It will be the 12th meeting between the pair, with Ferrer owning a 6-5 advantage, but the last two meetings going Nalbandian's way.
Nalbandian upset second-seeded Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-2 to reach the finals while Ferrer had little difficulty eliminating qualifier Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 7-5.
Sitting just 200 points behind Tomas Berdych, who is competing in the non-sanctioned AAMI Classic this week, a win in the final will allow Ferrer to climb to No. 6 in the world heading into the Australian Open next week.
Nalbandian has been ranked as seventh and as low as 161st in the past three years. The 29-year-old is chasing his 12th career title, and a victory could have him very close to the Top 20.