Nadal moves into Madrid semis

Published February 05, 2015

Madrid, Spain (SportsNetwork.com) - Spanish hero and three-time champion Rafael Nadal was an easy quarterfinal winner Friday at the $5 million Madrid Open, an ATP Masters 1000 event.

The world No. 1 superstar blew past sixth-seeded Czech slugger Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2 on the red clay at the Magic Box. Nadal also beat last week's Portugal Open runner-up Berdych in the 2010 Wimbledon finale.

Nadal, who failed to title in his last two clay court events in Monte Carlo and Barcelona, beat Swiss Stan Wawrinka in last year's final in Madrid.

In addition to his titles in 2005, 2010 and last year, the record 26-time Masters champion Nadal was also a runner-up in the Spanish capital in 2009 and 2011.

The reigning French and U.S. Open titlist Nadal will face fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in Saturday's semifinals. The rising Bautista Agut handled Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 6-4 at this Roland Garros tune-up.

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