(Sports Network) - Men's tennis' top two players again will meet with a title on the line, as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal cruised into the finals at the $3.57 million Masters Series Monte Carlo, the third of nine Masters Series events this season. The top-seeded and two-time Monte Carlo runner-up Federer came out victorious when Australian Open champ Novak Djokovic retired in the second set trailing 6-3, 3-2. Nadal bested Russian star Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-2.

For only the second time in ATP history, the top four players in the world participated in the semifinals at a Masters Series event. The red clay at Monte Carlo Country Club was home to a talented group of players, yet two dominating performances broke out.

The 26-year-old top-seeded Federer claimed his first title since last year a week ago in Estoril, where he snuck past an injured Davydenko, who retired while leading in the second set there.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion Federer downed Djokovic in a rematch of their 2007 U.S. Open final, which was won by the Swiss, and a rematch of their Aussie Open semifinal back in January, which was captured by the rising Serbian star.

Djokovic is just 2-6 lifetime against Federer, and the Swiss captured their lone Monte Carlo matchup here two years ago.

A second-seeded Nadal won his 19th straight match in Monte Carlo and is now 23-1 lifetime here, including victories over Federer in the finals last year and in 2006. He is a three-time titlist at this event.

The 2008 Monte Carlo titlist will collect $570,000.











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