REFAEl NADAL WILL RETURN

Refael Nadal will return to the top of the world rankings on Monday after reaching the final of the China Open.

The 27-year-old earned his place in Sunday's final when his semi-final opponent Tomas Berdych retired with a back injury, with the Czech trailing 4-2 in the opening set in Beijing.

Nadal's rise to the top follows a remarkable return to the court following a lengthy lay-off with a knee injury.

Since his comeback in February, the Spaniard has won 10 titles from 12 finals, including the French Open and US Open.

Nadal's last spell as world number one lasted 56 weeks before he was replaced at the summit by Novak Djokovic in July, 2011.