Rafael Nadal beaten in Rio Open semi-final by Pablo Cuevas

World No 5 Rafael Nadal was ousted in the ATP Rio Open semi-finals on Saturday, falling to 45th-ranked Pablo Cuevas 6-7 (6-8) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

Uruguay's Cuevas denied the 29-year-old Spanish left-hander his 100th career ATP final by outlasting Nadal over three hours and 28 minutes on the red clay surface.

Cuevas, who fired the last of his 11 aces on the final point of the match, will play for the title on Sunday against Argentina's 71st-ranked Guido Pella, who eliminated Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-1 6-4.

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Nadal converted only two of 13 break-point chances and made 33 unforced errors against 32 winners while Cuevas, 30, blasted 48 winners against 37 unforced errors.

His opponent in the final, Pella, has never won a title on the ATP Tour but made light work of the No 5 seed Thiem who lost 6-1 6-4 in just 73 minutes.

After racing through the opening set, the only break of the second came in game 10 which the 26-year-old clinched on his second match point.

In the women's event, Francesca Schiavone will face Shelby Rogers in the title decider after both players won their semi-finals in straight sets.

Schiavone, a former French Open champion but currently ranked No 132 in the world, beat Petra Martic of Croatia 6-3 6-3.

The 35-year-old Italian and clay court specialist broke serve four times during the match and will go into Sunday's final hoping to clinch her first WTA Tour title in almost three years.

Rogers, meanwhile, beat Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-4 6-4 in the other semi-final.

The 23-year-old American wild card did just enough to beat an opponent who converted just three of her 13 break point opportunities.