Nadal, Williams into Madrid semis

Through ... Rafael Nadal defeated David Ferrer to progress to the semis. Source: AAP

Rafael Nadal overcame a stiff test from compatriot David Ferrer to reach the Madrid Masters semi-finals on Friday while Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova stayed on course for a mouth-watering title showdown.

World number five Nadal had to come from a set and a break down to win 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-0 over world number four Ferrer.

Nadal admitted that recovering the break when Ferrer led 4-2 in the second set was the key moment.

"I was up and down through the whole match and when you are up and down against David it is difficult to win,'' said Nadal, who had also been two points from defeat in the 12th game of the second set.

"I am very happy and I was lucky to come through at the end of the match. He was very unlucky not to be in the semi-finals.

"At a set and 4-2 down I am not worried, I am very worried.''

Despite being seeded above Nadal, due to the seven-time French Open winner's seven-month injury lay-off, Ferrer was still left nursing a record of just four wins in their 22 meetings.

"If you don't take your chances against Rafa, you pay dearly. Against Rafa, Novak, Roger or Murray there's no room for error,'' admitted Ferrer.

However, the fourth seed didn't seem overawed early on as he broke to close out the opening set when a fine crosscourt forehand set up an easy volleyed winner in the 10th game.

Ferrer then looked on course to cause another upset after the surprise defeats of the world's top two, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, when he moved 4-2 up in the second.

However, Nadal, who hasn't lost on clay to Ferrer for nine years, swiftly broke back to level the set and then took it on the tie-break 7-3.

And there was no stopping the 11-time Grand Slam winner thereafter as he stormed through the third 6-0.

Victory took the 2005 and 2010 Madrid champion's record to 29-2 since he returned to action in early February, and the Spaniard can reach his seventh consecutive final when he faces wildcard Pablo Andujar in another all Spanish affair in the semi-finals.

World number 113 Andujar reached a first Masters semi-final with a 6-3 7-5 win over Roger Federer's conqueror in the last round, Kei Nishikori.

In the women's event, Williams and Sharapova stayed on course for a battle for the world number one slot in the final as they progressed into the last four with wins over Anabel Medina Garrigues and Kaia Kanepi respectively.

However, current number one Williams was given a huge scare by 30-year-old wildcard Garrigues before battling through 6-3 0-6 7-5.

In an uncharacteristically wild performance, Williams racked up nearly 50 unforced errors throughout the nearly two and a quarter hours of play, and she is determined to start afresh when she faces Sara Errani in the semi-finals on Saturday.

"I definitely want to cut back on my unforced errors,'' said Williams, who conceded a love-set for only the seventh time in her career.

"The fact is I was able to get through it. Tomorrow I start out at 0-0, so it's important for me to let it go and just play a new match tomorrow.''

There were far fewer problems for Sharapova as she continued her run of not losing a set so far in the Spanish capital with a comfortable 6-2 6-4 win over world number 51 Kanepi.

"I was just happy to get past the quarter-finals,'' said Sharapova who goes on to face Ana Ivanovic for a place in the final.

"I feel like I've been stuck in this tournament so it's nice to be in that stage. I felt like I was facing a really good clay court player today. A lot of her success has come on clay.

"I faced her at the French Open where she had really good wins last year, so I know that she's capable and she's playing really well.

"So I was just really determined. I'm happy that I was able to win with that type of scoreline.''

Ivanovic sealed her place in the last four with a 6-3 6-1 win over sixth seed Angelique Kerber, whilst seventh seed Errani ended Ekaterina Makarova's fine tournament, 6-4 6-3.

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Nadal storms into Madrid final

On a roll ... Rafael Nadal stormed into the Madrid Masters final. Source: AAP

Rafael Nadal will face surprise finalist Stanislas Wawrinka in Sunday's final at the Madrid Open after the Swiss made his second comeback in less than 24 hours to earn a semi-final victory.

Two-time champion Nadal erased any doubts that he still has the game to dominate on clay as he powered into his seventh consecutive final of the season on Saturday 6-0, 6-4 over wild card Pablo Andujar.

But Wawrinka, seeded 15th, fought his way into the second Masters 1000 final of his career, flirting with a 5-2 deficit in his final set with Tomas Berdych before overhauling the Czech sixth seed 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Wawrinka's trip to the tie match was assured 20 hours after he won his previous match early in the morning hours.

Nadal owns the series 8-0, last beating Wawrinka on Monte Carlo clay in 2012.

Nadal, who missed seven months of play from last summer with knee problems, has a relatively slim Madrid curriculum, with his only two titles earned in 2005 (indoor) and 2001 (clay).

The No.5 needed just 78 minutes to defeat No. 113 Andujar, playing his first major semi-final.

Nadal won the first set in a 30-minute sweep, with Andujar getting applause as he finally put up resistance in the second set.

Nadal claimed his 29th match at the event and his 34th in a Masters 1000 semi-final. He has not lost an ATP semi at any level for 46 matches dating to 2003.

"Whatever happens, I had a really good tournament. I'm happy for being able to achieve all of what I achieved in these four matches,'' said the Spaniard.

"Making it to the final in Madrid is a really big joy, especially in front of my crowd. Playing another final here, I think it's really good news.''

Since making a return in February, Nadal has won four titles from six finals played.

Wawrinka came back against Berdych in the final set, saving a total of four break points in two games to reach 4-4 with a break-back.

The Swiss, whose compatriot Roger Federer beat Berdych for the trophy a year ago, then served out a love game and broke Berdych a game later for the upset win as the Czech fired a return wide.

The women's final was set, with Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova facing off for that title and the Women's Tennis Association No. 1 ranking.

Top seed Williams will need a victory over her world No. 2 Russian rival if she is to hold onto her top spot in the table as the French Open start on May 26 draws near. A Sharapova win would send the four-time Grand Slam winner back to the leading place.

Williams dismissed 2012 Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani of Italy 7-5, 6-2 on Saturday.

Sharapova moved to within one victory of a second straight clay trophy as April's Stuttgart champion defeated former No. 1 and fellow French Open winner Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3.

Williams, 31, has won both of her 2013 meetings with Sharapova, the March Miami final and a February Doha semi-final.

Sharapova took an hour and a quarter to go through against Ivanovic, whom she now leads 7-2 after winning their last six meetings dating back to 2007.

Sharapova's win - her career 500th - came just a fortnight after she defeated Ivanovic in Stuttgart on the way to that title.

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Nadal hits out at time-violation rules

Rafael Nadal ... again hits out at the 25-second rule. Source:AFP

Rafael Nadal has repeated his criticism of the 25-second rule between points after being served with a warning for taking too long between points for the second day in a row.

The world number five eased into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters with a 6-2 6-3 win over Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday.

However, Nadal was warned when facing break point on his serve early in the second set and he doesn't believe such a short period of time between points makes for a good spectacle

"I don't feel singled out. The rules are the rules. I'm not in favour of this rule without any doubt. I don't think it's good for the spectators or the players," he said.

"The spectators love to see long points, but with this rule, the only thing they favour is that this doesn't happen because with 25 seconds, it's more difficult to recover and to have many points at this level."

Nadal has been in sensational form with five tournament wins since returning from a tendinitis injury in his right knee that forced him to miss the latter half of last season, but he insists he still isn't completely over the problem.

"Sometimes I have pain. Since the first day it has been complicated sometimes."

Nadal's passage towards a third title in Madrid seems to have been opened up by surprise defeats to world number one Novak Djokovic and defending champion Roger Federer in the second and third rounds respectively.

And the Spaniard believes the conditions in Madrid make it more susceptible to surprises: "The simple fact of altitude, we have more speed here. The ball flies faster. When the ball flies faster there is less control, when there is less control the matches are more equal."

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Nadal back on top in Barcelona

Back on top ... Nadal wasted little time dwelling on his Monte Carlo defeat. Source: AP

Rafael Nadal extended his record number of Barcelona titles to eight as he brushed off a slow start to beat Spanish compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6-4 6-3 in Sunday's final.

Last weekend's Monte Carlo runner-up regained his accustomed position on an ATP winner's podium with his fourth title of 2013 and his third on clay for the year.

He rallied from two breaks down on a day of drizzle and heavy conditions, beating Almagro for the 10th time without defeat.

The world No.5 has made a storming comeback to tennis after missing seven months from last summer with knee injuries. Since his February return, he has played finals in all six events he has entered.

He added the Barcelona title to trophies won over the past two months in Brazil, Mexico and California.

The Spaniard won his 39th clay title and 54th overall.

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Nadal grabs Indian Wells title

Back to best ... Rafael Nadal powers to his third Indian Wells title. Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AAP

Rafael Nadal overcame a tough three-set challenge from Juan Martin del Potro to win his third Indian Wells ATP Masters title 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Nadal cemented his return from a seven-month injury layoff with his first hard court title since 2010 and a record 22nd title in an elite Masters event. He had previously shared the record of 21 with Roger Federer.

The 26-year-old hadn't played a hard court tournament since pulling out of the Miami Masters last March with tendinitis in his left knee -- the same sort of knee trouble that would sideline him from his second-round Wimbledon exit in late June until February.

He came back in February to post a runner-up finish in Vina del Mar, followed by victories at Sao Paulo and Acapulco.

But none of those modest clay court tournaments posed the challenge he faced at Indian Wells, where the field featured 49 of the top 50 players in the world.

Seeded fifth, his route to the final included a quarter-final clash with defending champion Federer.

In the final, Nadal halted the giant-killing run of seventh-seeded Argentinian del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion who defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Andy Murray en route to the final.

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Nadal grabs Indian Wells title

Back to best ... Rafael Nadal powers to his third Indian Wells title. Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AAP

Rafael Nadal overcame a tough three-set challenge from Juan Martin del Potro to win his third Indian Wells ATP Masters title 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Nadal cemented his return from a seven-month injury layoff with his first hard court title since 2010 and a record 22nd title in an elite Masters event. He had previously shared the record of 21 with Roger Federer.

The 26-year-old hadn't played a hard court tournament since pulling out of the Miami Masters last March with tendinitis in his left knee -- the same sort of knee trouble that would sideline him from his second-round Wimbledon exit in late June until February.

He came back in February to post a runner-up finish in Vina del Mar, followed by victories at Sao Paulo and Acapulco.

But none of those modest clay court tournaments posed the challenge he faced at Indian Wells, where the field featured 49 of the top 50 players in the world.

Seeded fifth, his route to the final included a quarter-final clash with defending champion Federer.

In the final, Nadal halted the giant-killing run of seventh-seeded Argentinian del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion who defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Andy Murray en route to the final.

View the original article here

Nadal grabs Indian Wells title

Back to best ... Rafael Nadal powers to his third Indian Wells title. Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AAP

Rafael Nadal overcame a tough three-set challenge from Juan Martin del Potro to win his third Indian Wells ATP Masters title 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Nadal cemented his return from a seven-month injury layoff with his first hard court title since 2010 and a record 22nd title in an elite Masters event. He had previously shared the record of 21 with Roger Federer.

The 26-year-old hadn't played a hard court tournament since pulling out of the Miami Masters last March with tendinitis in his left knee -- the same sort of knee trouble that would sideline him from his second-round Wimbledon exit in late June until February.

He came back in February to post a runner-up finish in Vina del Mar, followed by victories at Sao Paulo and Acapulco.

But none of those modest clay court tournaments posed the challenge he faced at Indian Wells, where the field featured 49 of the top 50 players in the world.

Seeded fifth, his route to the final included a quarter-final clash with defending champion Federer.

In the final, Nadal halted the giant-killing run of seventh-seeded Argentinian del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion who defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Andy Murray en route to the final.

View the original article here

Nadal grabs Indian Wells title

Back to best ... Rafael Nadal powers to his third Indian Wells title. Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AAP

Rafael Nadal overcame a tough three-set challenge from Juan Martin del Potro to win his third Indian Wells ATP Masters title 4-6 6-3 6-4.

Nadal cemented his return from a seven-month injury layoff with his first hard court title since 2010 and a record 22nd title in an elite Masters event. He had previously shared the record of 21 with Roger Federer.

The 26-year-old hadn't played a hard court tournament since pulling out of the Miami Masters last March with tendinitis in his left knee -- the same sort of knee trouble that would sideline him from his second-round Wimbledon exit in late June until February.

He came back in February to post a runner-up finish in Vina del Mar, followed by victories at Sao Paulo and Acapulco.

But none of those modest clay court tournaments posed the challenge he faced at Indian Wells, where the field featured 49 of the top 50 players in the world.

Seeded fifth, his route to the final included a quarter-final clash with defending champion Federer.

In the final, Nadal halted the giant-killing run of seventh-seeded Argentinian del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion who defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and world No. 3 Andy Murray en route to the final.

View the original article here