Nadal, Federer help set up blockbuster semifinal lineup in Shanghai

Three of the top four seeds advanced to the Shanghai Rolex Masters semifinals on Friday. And the only outsider is Juan Martin Del Potro. That’s just about as good as it gets for a semifinal Saturday.

Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Marin Cilic joined Del Potro in the final four thanks to mostly routine quarterfinal victories. Federer took care of Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-4, Marin Cilic erased Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4, and Nadal almost got the job done in straight sets but ended up needing three to hold off Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3.

Del Potro, meanwhile, battled to beat Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 despite an injury scare to his left wrist.

Del Potro interview:

Nadal, a champion last week in Beijing, got the best of Dimitrov for the second time in the span of seven days. The world No. 1 served at 75 percent, won more than 70 percent of the points on both his first and second serves, and held all 16 of his service games while saving two break points. He set up a showdown against Cilic after two hours and 32 minutes.

“It was a very tough match,” Nadal assured. “I think both of us, we played at a very high level of tennis. The conditions, of course, have been different today than my two previous matches. I think [it was] a great battle between two players who are playing all the time very focused, very intense points all the time. I think both of us served very well during the whole match, so yeah, it was decided on just a few balls, and anything [could have happened].”

There was little doubt as to what would happen between Federer and Gasquet. Already 15-2 lifetime in the head-to-head series, the 36-year-old Swiss prevailed again over the Frenchman with relative ease. Federer served at 79 percent and broke Gasquet three times to cruise in one hour and 18 minutes as he put himself within two wins of a second title in Shanghai (previously triumphed in 2009).

Quarterfinal highlights:

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