Top-ranked Roger Federer and defending champion Rafael Nadal won quarterfinal matches in straight sets at the Monte Carlo Masters on Friday.
Federer defeated eighth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain 6-1, 6-3, and Nadal beat number six Guillermo Coria of Argentina 6-2, 6-1 to be one match each away from meeting in Sunday’s final.
Federer improved to 32-1 overall this season in reaching the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals for the first time, while second-ranked Nadal of Spain extended his winning streak on clay to 40 matches.
The seven-time grand-slam champion is 4-0 over Ferrer after beating him for the first time on clay.
”I played excellent again today,” Federer said. ”I knew on clay it was going to be more difficult. I always know that I can play with anybody, on any surface. I proved that again today, so I’m very pleased.”
Federer, who is preparing for the only major he is yet to win — the French Open — next month, led 4-0 in the second set before Ferrer rallied briefly to win three straight games.
He plays 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who upset fourth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-5, 6-1. Federer has a 5-0 record against Gonzalez, and has beaten him three times on clay — at Monte Carlo and in the French Open last year, and at Hamburg in 2004.
Federer believes his form is quickly improving on his least-favourite surface.
”I have an opportunity to maybe play a final here now,” he said. ”I’ve got plenty of matches early in the clay-court season, so I mean, the start could not have been any better.”
Nadal next meets number seven Gaston Gaudio of Argentina, who beat number 15 Tommy Robredo 6-1, 6-3.
Nadal considered it his ”best match of the week” after extra practice with his coach on Thursday night to work on his backhand.
”I’m very happy with how I played,” said Nadal. ”I got some confidence back. My backhand was not 100% today, but it was good.”
Having served an ATP three-set record 23 double faults in his previous match against Nicolas Kiefer, Coria added another eight to make it 51 in his past three matches.
Coria, the 2004 champion and two-time runner-up, won the opening two games of the match — but then lost the next 11.
After losing one long rally, the Argentine pointed his racket at Nadal, mimicking a machine gun as if to shoot down his opponent in anger.
”The first two games were very long and after that I started feeling nauseous and without strength,” Coria said. ”I was trembling. Also, Nadal plays with such intensity and aggression, so it took a lot out of me.”
Gaudio, the 2004 French Open champion, broke Robredo four times in the match.
”I played really well during the first set,” Gaudio said. ”I think he was a little tired, he seemed asleep. So I took advantage.”
Gaudio said his success at Roland Garros proved that Federer and Nadal don’t deserve all the focus.
”Well, nobody was talking about me in 2004 either,” he said. ”And I won the French Open. So, you never know.” — Sapa-AP