BARCELONA, Spain -- Santiago Giraldo of Colombia beat Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-3 to reach the Barcelona Open final on Saturday, as his Spanish rival suffered a letdown after ousting top-ranked Rafael Nadal. Mike Wagner Youth Jersey . Giraldo will face fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan after he beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal on the red outdoor clay. Almagro slumped to his first loss in six meetings with Giraldo, a day after one of his biggest wins when he upset eight-time winner Nadal at the Real Club de Tenis. "Yesterdays game doesnt serve as an excuse," Almagro said. "Giraldo grazed perfection today, above all in the first set, and I couldnt find the answer." The unseeded Giraldo will be playing for his first career title on Sunday after he saved six of seven break points and finished the match with an emphatic ace. "I have always dreamed of reaching the top spots of the ATP ranking and tomorrow is a first step," Giraldo said. "But I am staying calm. I will keep to my routine and tomorrow will be a day to enjoy and play the best tennis I can." Giraldo prevailed in a match that featured several long rallies by proving more precise with his long groundstrokes. The first set was heading for a tiebreaker until Giraldo snatched it away by breaking Almagros last service game when he swatted a forehand return by the feet of the last years finalist. Almagro got an early break in the second set, but Giraldo won it right back and took control as Almagros nerves frayed with the match slipping away. "He believed more in his tennis, in how he had to play, and he barely made any mistakes," Almagro said. "I committed errors when I could have gone in front. That was the key." Earlier, Nishikoris faster movement overcame Gulbis big serve. Down a set, ninth-seeded Gulbis saved seven break points in the second before finally ceding his serve and losing the match. Nishikori will be seeking his second title of the season and fifth in his career. Troy Polamalu Jersey . Vonn "reopened" the idea of competing in the season-opening World Cup event on Oct. 26-27 in Soelden, Austria after returning to the slopes last month in Portillo, Chile. Alejandro Villanueva Youth Jersey . -- The Phoenix Coyotes have won three in a row for the first time in 4 1/2 months, and theyve done it just in time for the stretch run to the playoffs. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Jack-Butler-Jersey/ . Costa Rica followed up its wins over Uruguay and Italy by holding England to a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday, enough to finish first in Group D.WASHINGTON - The Washington Redskins have been working on the final details of a deal to hire Scot McCloughan as general manager.McCloughan and the Redskins were close to an agreement Wednesday after two days of negotiations.Its a hiring that would mark a major shift in front-office philosophy under owner Dan Snyder.McCloughan is a former executive with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. He would givee the Redskins something akin to a traditional structure for the first time under Snyder — a highly respected talent evaluator independent of the head coach to lead the team through free agency and the draft. Heath Miller Steelers Jersey. McCloughans arrival would mean that Bruce Allen is stripped of the GM title, but Allen would remain team president.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '