Beijing - Rafael Nadal crashed to a 6-1, 6-3 defeat Saturday, losing the first match of his career in Beijing as Marin Cilic sent the top seed out of the China Open. The Croatian eighth seed fired eight aces - two of which set up separate match points in the penultimate game - but still dropped serve as Nadal saved them both to trail a set and 5-3.
But Cilic, ranked 15th, would not be denied in his first meeting with the world number two, breaking back a game later to secure the win in less than 90 minutes.
Nadal had not lost that badly since January 2008 when he went down in the Chennai final to Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-0, 6-1.
"It was very difficult for me, he served unbelievable, with winners almost all the time," said Nadal, moving on as top seed at next week's Asian showcase, the Shanghai Masters.
"If you lose like I did, there are lots of things you are doing wrong. Mentally I probably wasn't there today.
"He played well and made it very difficult for me. I had a chance to come back and I didn't play very well. He gave me many chances to play but I was under pressure.
"I can do better next time - I must."
Cilic is to tangle Sunday against second seed Novak Djokovic, who defeated Swede Robin Soderling 6-3, 6-3. Djokovic leads that series 3-0.
In the women's WTA draw, sixth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova will bid for her second title here after winning in 2006 when she plays against Pole Agnieszka Radwanska.
Kuznetsova, 1-2 in Beijing finals, beat compatriot Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-3 in their semi-final while Radwanska, the number 12, put out France's Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-3.
"If I play my best game I think I'm to be the favourite but you never know," said Kuznetsova.
Serb Djokovic will now return to third in the world behind number one Roger Federer and Nadal after spending 80 minutes in subduing 2009 Roland Garros finalist Soderling.
The win sent Djokovic past Scot Andy Murray, who could only suffer in London as his ATP standing slipped to fourth, the result of recent inactivity because of a wrist problem that forced him to withdraw from Asian events in Tokyo and next week's Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic, seeded second and winner of two titles this season, broke Soderling early in the opening set after a double fault rectified by three aces.
The Serb came back from a break down in the second against the sixth-seeded Swede, recovering the break and earning his own the seventh game on the way to his victory.
Djokovic produced six aces and four breaks of serve as he improved to 4-0 over Soderling.
The Serb stands 62-17 on the season, the best in the ATP. He was playing in his 12th semi-final from 18 events in 2009.
