Madrid Masters (Quarterfinals)

Rafa Ready To Clinch Year-end No. 1 Honor

ATP World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is ready to build on his historic 2008 season after winning his 80th match of the year to reach the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid semifinals. Nadal outclassed fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4 to move within one victory of clinching the year-end No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking. Should he reach Sunday's final he is guaranteed to become the first Spaniard to earn that honor.

Nadal, the 2005 Madrid champion, is also seeking his 13th ATP Masters Series shield. At 22 years of age he is already third on the list of all-time Masters Series title leaders, trailing only Andre Agassi (17) and Federer (14).

Nadal saved both break points he faced against Lopez and won 76 percent of points on his second serve.


The five-time Grand Slam champion has won eight titles this year and his 80 match wins top his 79-10 record in his breakout season in 2005 when he won 11 titles, including his first Roland Garros crown and four ATP Masters Series titles.

Rafael Nadal won his ATP-best 80th match of the season on Friday in Madrid. He is the third player since 2000 to win at least 80 matches in a season.

80 Match Wins Club
W-L
2008 -- Rafael Nadal 80-9
2006 -- Roger Federer 92-5
2005 -- Roger Federer 81-4
2001 -- Lleyton Hewitt 80-18

Nadal is attempting to join Roger Federer as the only players in ATP Masters Series history (since 1990) to win four shields in the same year twice during their careers. So far this year he has won ATP Masters Series titles in Monte Carlo, Hamburg and Toronto (in addition to his Roland Garros, Wimbledon and Olympic titles.)

No other player has won four ATP Masters Series titles in a year even once during their career.

Nadal admitted that he had been troubled by shoulder pain during the match. "Yesterday during the match I did not feel anything but when I got back to the players room I started to feel the pain and when I woke up this morning it was tough. Before the match I cannot know how I will feel during the match."

Gutsy Frenchman Gilles Simon stared down 27 aces from 6' 10" Croatian Ivo Karlovic to book a semifinal showdown with Rafael Nadal in Madrid. Simon twice rallied from a break down in the first set and then overcame an early break in the third to take down Karlovic 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-6(2).

Karlovic earned one more break of serve than Simon and again volleyed with authority. But the Frenchman came up with a series of winning passes under pressure. Simon hit 26 winners and attacked Karlovic's second serve, limiting the Croatian to a winning percentage of just 35 on his second delivery.

Simon, who saved three match points against Robby Ginperi in the third round, now vaults to No. 10 in the ATP 2008 Race. The top eight players will earn a berth at the circuit-ending Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai, beginning November 9.