Ivan Ljubicic rode his big serve to victory over the defending champion Rafael Nadal on Saturday for a berth in the BNP Paribas Open final.
Ljubicic, of Croatia, served 17 aces, giving him 64 in the tournament, and overcame 51 unforced errors in ending a five-match losing streak against Nadal, the world’s third-ranked player.
Ljubicic jumped and down in delight, thrusting both arms skywards, to celebrate only his second victory over Nadal in seven meetings, and his first in five years.
"I was serving great," the beaming Croat said at courtside. "Rafa off the baseline was fantastic and there was not much I could really do."
Ljubicic came up with some clutch shots, slapping running desperation forehands into the corner to shock Nadal and advance to the finals.

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