Rafael Nadal made quick work of his quarterfinal matchup with Roger Federer on Thursday night at the BNP Paribas Open, defeating the No. 2 seed 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 24 minutes.
BNP Paribas Open 2013 results: Nadal advances past ailing Federer
In a superstar quarterfinal match at Indian Wells, Rafael Nadal knocked off his rival Roger Federer on Thursday night.
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Federer tweaked his back in the third round against Ivan Dodig, which clearly hampered him throughout the match. Still, Nadal played flawlessly to advance to the semifinals. Winning 77 percent of his first serves, Rafa easily held his service games while exploiting Federer’s off night. Nadal broke Federer four times, including three times in the second set.
The rivalry between the two tennis legends dates back to 2004. After Nadal worked his way back from an extended injury absence, he’s already looking to clinch his third title of 2013. He will face the No. 6-seed Tomas Berdych in the semifinals at Indian Wells.
Berdych defeated Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4 earlier on Thursday, winning breaks in the 10th game of each set. Nadal holds a 12-3 advantage over Berdych all-time. He hasn’t lost to the Czech since 2006.
Full results can be found here.
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