Ferrer Stuns Nadal To Reach Semis

David Ferrer joined an elite club Friday as he became just the third player in 11 years to defeat Rafael Nadal at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. In the all-Spanish contest, Ferrer produced a gutsy, attacking display to beat eight-time champion Nadal 7-6(1), 6-4 in the quarter-finals.
“It is special,” said Ferrer. “Last time I beat Rafael on a clay court was 10 years ago. I had to wait 10 years to beat him on a clay court! I am happy because I am in the semi-final and because I am playing very good this week. Maybe this week, it was my best week of the season.”

Ferrer is looking to reach the final at this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 clay-court tournament for the second time, following a runner-up finish to Nadal in 2011, and goes on to face Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka. Ferrer leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 7-5, but has lost their past two meetings.
“It’s going to be a tough match, sure,” said Ferrer. “Stan is playing unbelievable this season with a lot of power in his shots. I have to play similar like today or yesterday to have a chance.”

The 27-year-old Nadal suffered his earliest loss since his 2003 debut at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, when he was beaten in the third round by Guillermo Coria. From 2005-12, the Mallorcan won eight successive titles, before being dethroned in the final last year by Novak Djokovic.
“Losing hurts everywhere. On clay always a little bit more,” said Nadal. “I am not happy today about what I did. Not very happy about the way that I played the second set after losing the first. I didn’t play with the right intensity at the beginning of the second. I give him big opportunity at the beginning of the second. I cannot do that.”