Defending champion Rafael Nadal continued to look more like his old self as he crushed Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6(3), 6-1 to enter the ATP Madrid Masters final on Saturday.
Chasing a fifth title overall at the claycourt event in the Spanish capital, third seed Nadal edged a tight first set before turning the screw in the second to exact revenge for a straight-sets defeat to the Czech sixth seed in this year’s Australian Open quarterfinals.
Nadal had won 17 consecutive matches against Berdych before losing to the world No. 7 in Melbourne and restored his dominance with a solid display that included a series of trademark whipped forehand winners.
With the sun beating down on centre court in the Magic Box arena, Berdych saved both break points he faced in the opening set but faded badly in the tiebreak.
Nadal punished a series of errors from the 2012 runner-up to open up a 5-1 lead in the second set and sealed victory on his first match point when Berdych sent a return sailing out.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray entered the semifinals for the first time in Madrid on clay as he overcame a hobbled Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-5 on Friday.
One break in each set was enough to continue Murray’s perfect start to the clay court season after winning his first tournament on the surface earlier in the week in Munich.
Raonic withdraws Raonic has withdrawn from Rome next week and seemed to still be struggling with the foot problem that forced him to pull out of the Monte Carlo Masters last month as Murray used a series of drop shots to good effect.
The results: Men: Semifinals: Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-6(3), 6-1. Quarterfinals: Berdych beat John Isner 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(1); Nadal beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-4; Kei Nishikori beat David Ferrer 6-4, 6-2; Andy Murray beat Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-5. Doubles: Semifinals: Rohan Bopanna & Florin Mergea beat Marcel Granollers & Marc Lopez 6-7(4), 6-3, 11-9.
