updated 2:28 p.m. ET May 17, 2008

HAMBURG, Germany - Rafael Nadal won a three-set struggle with Novak Djokovic to protect his No. 2 ranking Saturday and advance to the Hamburg Masters final against the world’s top-ranked player.

Nadal will face No. 1 Roger Federer in Sunday’s final, a rematch of last year’s championship match in which Federer won his fourth Hamburg title and ended Nadal’s’ 81-match winning streak on clay — his only win over the Spaniard on the slow surface.

Nadal and Federer reached the final in contrasting fashion Saturday.

Federer overwhelmed Andreas Seppi 6-3, 6-1. Nadal had to fight for more than three hours to defeat the third-ranked Djokovic 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.

Nadal’s ranking was at stake against Djokovic, and Nadal prevailed in an often spectacular match that had both players clenching fists and thumping chests after amazing winners and turned into a superb battle of wills, stamina and skill.

“It was great to be part of a fantastic match, the quality was very high,” Djokovic said. “It was one of the best, maybe the best match I can remember I played on clay.”

Nadal called the duel “amazing, one of my best matches.”

Djokovic was seeking back-to-back titles after winning last week’s Rome Masters, where Nadal lost in an early round while struggling with a painful blister on his foot. It was Nadal’s second defeat on clay in 109 matches stretching back more than three years.

Djokovic leads the season points race after winning his first major at the Australian Open and then beating Nadal in the semifinals at Indian Wells en route to the title. He has never beaten Nadal on clay in four matches, but came close Saturday — only to be undermined by wasted opportunities.

The Serb raced to a 3-0 lead in the first set and held two break points to make it 4-0. But Nadal held serve and then broke Djokovic’s serve before making it 3-3.

“The first three games he played were unbelievable. Had I gone down 4-0, it would have been impossible to win the set,” Nadal said.

Nadal went on to win the set, and Djokovic bounced back in the second. Djokovic dropped his serve in the opening game of the third set, then squandered four break points in two successive games on Nadal’s serve.

“It was very crucial for me to win that first game, but I made two unforced errors and he used it very wisely. He is the best defensive player in the history of the game,” Djokovic said.

Nadal needed five match points to win the last game, during which Djokovic squandered four more break points.

“I was unlucky at some points in the first and third sets,” Djokovic said. “I played all the right shots, but luck played a big role. I feel with this performance that I am getting closer to him on clay.”

Special feature Federer vs. Nadal Relive the head-to-head battles between the two best players in men's tennis. NBCSports.com

The match took 3 hours, 3 minutes and Nadal may feel the consequences when he faces a rested Federer, who spent almost two hours less on court. Nadal has a 9-6 career record against Federer.

Federer has not dropped a set on his way to the final and has yet to play a seeded player. The tournament is a major warmup for the French Open later this month, the only Grand Slam title that Federer has yet to win.

“It is good to be in the Hamburg final again, it is good for the confidence ahead of the French Open,” he said.

Federer has won only one title this year, at a relatively small clay-court tournament last month in Estoril, Portugal. He lost his sixth match of 2008 in the Rome Masters quarterfinals last week, to Radek Stepanek.

“Maybe I am a touch better than last year. I feel a bit more ready for Paris,” Federer said.

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