Defending champion Rafael Nadal gave his clay-court doldrums a boost by reaching the Madrid Open semi-finals on Friday.
The top-ranked Nadal had lost his previous two quarter-final matches on clay for his worst run on the surface in a decade. But buoyed on by a partisan crowd, Nadal overpowered Thomas Berdych 6-4, 6-2 to advance at the Magic Box.
“It was my most complete game,” said Nadal, who made no attempt to contain his emotions against Berdych.
Nadal has been improving with every match in Madrid after losing at the quarter-finals stage in preceding tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.
But he showed no sign of the nerves that had uncharacteristically crept into the game of the most successful clay-court player ever as he pushed Berdych to the corners and punished him with a powerful forehand that accounted for 16 of his winners.
Berdych, who dropped to 3-18 against Nadal, couldn’t keep up in the hot sun beating down on Manolo Santana centre court.