Djokovic puts Nadal's ascent on hold

Rafael Nadal doesn't mind the wait.

Weary from two months of nonstop winning, Nadal got run around the court Saturday and, ultimately, bounced from the Cincinnati Masters one step shy of another title match. Instead, Novak Djokovic reached the final with a 6-1, 7-5 victory that only delayed the inevitable atop the world rankings.

In two weeks, the 22-year-old Spaniard automatically will move up a spot to No. 1.

"I feel happy because for sure to be No. 1 is hard work from a long, long time ago," Nadal said. "But there's no time to be excited and enjoy."

By reaching the semifinals of the $2.6 million ATP Western & …