( CNN ) -- Rafael Nadal failed to clinch the year-end No . 1 ranking for the third time in his career after suffering a shock defeat at the Paris Masters on Saturday . The form player of the men 's tennis season after coming back from long-term knee problems , Nadal could have added to his 2008 and 2010 feats by beating David Ferrer and reaching the final of the penultimate tournament on the calendar . However , he lost 6-3 7-5 to his third-ranked compatriot , who will defend his title in Sunday 's final against Novak Djokovic . The Serbian earlier kept alive his hopes of being year-end No . 1 for the third successive year by beating 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer in Saturday 's opening semifinal . `` I played maybe my best match this season , '' Ferrer said after ending a nine-match losing run to Nadal . `` Paris is very special for me . I made my first final of a grand slam in Roland Garros ; last year I won my first Masters 1000 title ; now I 'm in the final again in Paris . '' Second-ranked Djokovic had to come from behind to win 4-6 6-3 6-2 against the veteran Swiss , who is showing signs of improved form . Both matches were dress rehearsals for the ATP World Tour Finals in London next week , where Nadal and Ferrer will be in Group A along with Tomas Berdych and debutant Stanislas Wawrinka . Defending champion Djokovic and six-time winner Federer will be in Group B with Juan Martin del Potro and Richard Gasquet . `` I was pretty happy with my level of play , '' said Federer , who will equal Ivan Lendl 's record 12 consecutive appearances at the season-ending event . `` I wish I could have kept it up for a bit longer and put him under pressure , but Novak battled well to stay in the match in the second set and the third set . `` I had my chances in the second and third sets . Disappointed right now , but overall it was a good week for me . '' On Friday , Federer avenged his Swiss Indoors final defeat by Del Potro -- and the Argentine 's week got even worse when he was robbed at Paris ' Gare du Nord train station en route to Britain . His confidence will be shaken after losing his most prized possession -- a rosary that was blessed by the Pope in Rome this year , which was in a briefcase stolen as he checked in . `` My Rosary blessed by Pope Francis , I carried it everywhere , '' the 25-year-old told the ATP Tour website . `` That 's what matters most to me . I was finishing the check-in and was asked for an autograph . I turned around to sign it and , within 20 seconds , it was stolen . '' Meanwhile , the Italian women 's team took a big step towards a fourth Fed Cup title after winning both singles matches on the opening day of the final against an under-strength Russia Saturday . Italy , whose last title came in 2010 , saw its top-ranked player Sara Errani thrash Irina Khromacheva 6-1 6-4 after Roberta Vinci battled to a 5-7 7-5 8-6 win against Alexandra Panova . Both Russians were making their debut in the largest team tournament in women 's international sport , which featured 97 nations this year , as the country 's top 11 players were unavailable . The final clashes with the WTA Tour 's Tournament of Champions in Bulgaria , a second-tier end-of-season event where Russia 's Anastasia Pavlyuchenckova lost to Sam Stosur in Saturday 's semis and Romania 's Simona Halep beat Serbian Ana Ivanovic . The International Tennis Federation , which plans to move the Fed Cup final back a week next season , announced Saturday that Tunisia will be banned from the men 's 2014 Davis Cup tournament after refusing to allow one of its players to compete against an Israeli . Malek Jaziri had been due to play Amir Weintraub at last month 's Tashkent Challenger . `` There is no room for prejudice of any kind in sport or in society , '' ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti said . `` The ITF board decided to send a strong message to the Tunisian Tennis Federation that this kind of action will not be tolerated by any of our members . `` The board felt that suspension from Davis Cup , a competition that was founded 113 years ago to encourage better understanding through sport , would provide a good lesson for the federation and a fitting penalty for their unfortunate action . ''
World No . 2 Novak Djokovic will play David Ferrer in Sunday 's Paris Masters final . Djokovic comes from behind to beat Roger Federer in Saturday 's opening semifinal . ATP World Tour Finalist Juan Martin del Potro is robbed of prized rosary in Paris . Comment: