Nadal eases to win

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:51

The world number two needed just an hour and 17 minutes to set up a clash with Croatia’s Marin Cilic.

He saved three break points for the Russian in the first set, taking his only opportunity to clinch a game on Safin’s serve.

The second set was more straightforward, Nadal breaking three times and winning 80% of points on his own first serve to wrap up a 6-3 6-1 win.

Cilic also eases to a straight-sets win, beating fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-4.

Davydenko had significantly the better first-serve ratio throughout – 72% as opposed to 62 – but won only 59% of points behind it and was broken four times.

In the second semi-final, number two seed Novak Djokovic will meet Sweden’s Robin Soderling after a topsy-turvy win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.

Djokovic led by a set but dropped his serve twice as the fifth seed took the second 6-1 to level the match.

The Serbian responded in kind though, two breaks of his own wrapping up a 6-3 1-6 6-1 win.

Soderling needed a tie-break to go a set ahead against Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic, but wrapped up a match featuring only one break of serve 7-6 (7-3) 6-4.

Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here