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Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates his victory over Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych at the ATP World...
Rafael Nadal's epic year is almost over but his intensity levels showed no sign of dipping on Friday as the Spanish dynamo battered Tomas Berdych 7-6 6-1 to reach the last four of the ATP World Tour Finals.The 24-year-old, who has blazed a trail across the globe this year with three grand slam titles, even blew his top at the umpire during a compelling victory that made sure he topped Group A and set up a semi-final against Briton Andy Murray.
There is now the enticing prospect of a Sunday showdown with world number two Roger Federer, the other undefeated player here, when a $1.6 million jackpot could be at stake.
The lack of a standout match has been the only complaint at the cavernous O2 Arena this year as the season-ending event returned for a second year, but Nadal and Berdych produced plenty of indoor fireworks, particularly in a 70-minute first set of extraordinary quality.
With sledgehammer groundstrokes exploding off his strings, Berdych bravely went toe-to-toe with Nadal whose shocking pink shirt was a blur of motion as he thumped forehands and backhands to the far reaches of his opponent's half of the court.
Trailing 5-6 in the first set, the Mallorcan lost his cool at 15-15 when Berdych challenged an incorrect umpire overrule and was then awarded the point as a Hawkeye challenge showed the Czech's backhand had clipped the baseline.
Nadal, who had stopped playing on hearing the umpire's call, stormed towards the chair and argued with Brazilian Carlos Bernardes before returning, rage fuelling his left arm, to hold serve. Still angry, he then powered through the tiebreak.
"If I don't see the umpire saying out, I will continue the point for sure because it's a big risk for me to say the ball is out," Nadal, calm restored, told reporters.
"SOMTHING UNBELIEVABLE"
"I am right, but is mistake for him. It was something unbelievable. But he is a great umpire and everybody makes a mistake. I think he did today."
The contest demonstrated just how far Nadal has come in a year since he lost all three matches in straight sets here and many thought his body was failing him.
"For me to finish the season winning all the matches in the group against top-eight players on my most difficult surface, that's unbelievable now," Nadal said. "I'm very happy for be in semi-finals. Tomorrow for sure it's going to be a very difficult match against one of the best players of the world."
After twice coming within two points of winning the set he needed to maintain his hopes of reaching the last four, Berdych faded after losing serve in the fourth game of the second set.
However, after arriving at the tournament short of confidence after a poor run since losing the Wimbledon final to Nadal, he looks to have rediscovered the kind of form that could make him a threat next year.
"The first match here (against Novak Djokovic) was not so good," Berdych told reporters. "But then against (Andy) Rod**** in the next one I found my rhythm.
"I think I had two pretty good two matches."
Federer will find out who he will play in the semi-finals when Group B concludes later with Novak Djokovic playing Andy Rod****. Djokovic needs only one set to go through.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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