MADRID, May 10 (UPI) -- Rafael Nadal moved closer to his fifth championship of the year Friday by coming from behind to defeat David Ferrer in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open.
Nadal, the highest seed remaining in the event at No. 5, defeated the fourth-seeded Ferrer 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0. He improved his 2013 match record to 29-2.
Wild card Pablo Andujar earned a semifinal match with Nadal thanks to a 6-3, 7-5 decision over Kei Nishikori, who 24 hours earlier had knocked out Roger Federer.
Federer was the tournament's No.2 seed, top-seeded Novak Djokovic fell in the second round, and No. 3 Andy Murray was defeated Friday in the quarterfinals by Tomas Berdych.
Berdych downed Murray 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 and will take on Stanislas Wawrinka in the semifinals after Wawrinka outlasted Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 6-7 (9-11), 6-4.
Ferrer failed to capitalize on two match points in the second set and lost for the 18th time in 22 meetings with Nadal.
"After missing his chance, David fell apart a little," Nadal said. "He lowered his intensity in the third set and I didn't have to do as much."
Nadal has reached the finals in all six of his previous tournaments this year, losing only to Horacio Zeballos in Chile and to Djokovic in Monte Carlo.
