( CNN ) -- Top seed Novak Djokovic suffered a shock semifinal defeat to Fernando Verdasco on Saturday to end his hopes of avenging last year 's loss to Rafael Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters title match . While Nadal moved a step closer to his sixth successive triumph at the opening event of the European claycourt season in Monaco with a 6-2 6-3 win over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer , world No . 2 Djokovic crashed to a 6-2 6-2 reverse against sixth seed Verdasco . `` I was n't moving well , I was n't feeling well on the court -- it was a bad day , '' Djokovic told reporters . Verdasco , who has not beaten his compatriot Nadal in nine encounters , needed little over an hour and a half to overcome the Serbian , who had returned to form this week after a disappointing time in his past two hardcourt events in the United States . `` I want to be the one to break Nadal 's streak , '' Verdasco told reporters . `` I tried to use my forehand well against Djokovic and make him really play . This will be my first final in Monte Carlo and I 'm really excited . '' Nadal took only 76 minutes to reach his 49th final on the ATP Tour with a comfortable victory against 11th seed Ferrer . His last defeat at the Monte Carlo Country Club came as a 16-year-old against Guillermo Coria in 2003 , and he has lost only six career matches out of 164 on his favored clay surface . Former world No . 1 Nadal has not won a tournament in 11 months after a year wrecked by injuries . But he now has the chance to equal the record of six Monte Carlo titles held by Englishman Reggie Doherty , who triumphed in 1897-99 and 1902-04 . Nadal was happy to make it through to final after falling in the last four in his previous Masters events in Miami and Indian Wells . `` I 'm playing very well , I had a very good match today . The last two games , I was a little bit more nervous than usual because I lost two semifinals in a row , '' he told reporters . `` But for the rest , I think I played a very , very complete match . It 's great to start the clay season like this . I 'm playing well and I 'm very happy with my game . ''
Fernando Verdasco stuns top seed Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-2 in Monte Carlo semifinals . Verdasco will face five-time defending champion Rafael Nadal in Sunday 's final . World No . 3 Nadal progresses with 6-2 6-3 win over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer . Djokovic was beaten in final last year by Nadal , who has not lost there since 2003 .