Juan Carlos Ferrero's revival continued with an enthralling 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Argentine Gaston Gaudio that earned him a place in the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open on Friday.
Fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal also moved into the last four of the 850,000 euro ($1.11 million) claycourt tournament when Agustin Calleri retired with back problems after losing the first set 6-2 and trailing 3-0 in the second.
The 18-year-old, who became the youngest winner of a Masters Series tournament in 15 years with last week's victory in Monte Carlo, proved too powerful for the Argentine who was suffering the after-effects of three exhausting matches.
Calleri had been involved in six tiebreaks in his earlier matches against French teenager Gael Monfils and fellow countrymen Juan Ignacio Chela and Guillermo Coria.
"I'm delighted with the way I'm playing at the moment," said Nadal, who enjoyed back-to-back claycourt victories in Brazil and Mexico this year and then took world number one Roger Federer to five sets in the Nasdaq-100.
"I've had an incredible two months and just hope I can now continue that by reaching the final here."
Nadal faces Radek Stepanek in the semi-finals. The Czech ended Swiss qualifier Stanislav Wawrinka's fine run when he came from a set down to win 3-6 6-3 6-2.
"Nadal has been in incredible shape over the last three or four weeks, but I'm looking forward to the challenge," said Stepanek. "He's the favourite, but that could just work to my advantage."
Seventh seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko tamed big-serving Belarussian Max Mirnyi 6-4 6-4 with another controlled performance to earn his place in the semi-finals against Ferrero.
SUPERB DISPLAY
The Spaniard showed he is recovering the form that made him the 2003 French Open champion with a superb display of claycourt tennis in a three-hour epic against the second-seeded Argentine, who won the title at Roland Garros last year.
The former world number one edged an evenly balanced first set after earning a break point in the 10th game with a delicate drop volley and finished off with a clever crosscourt winner.
Gaudio, the only one of the top six seeds to reach the quarter-finals, fought back to claim a 4-0 lead in the second set and although Ferrero pulled it back to 5-4 he wrapped up with a confident service game.
Neither player gave any quarter in the third set, trading powerful ground strokes during several lengthy rallies.
A highly focused Ferrero stretched his opponent around the court, however, and made the breakthrough when he forced Gaudio into a forehand error before moving 5-3 ahead.
Gaudio saved three match points before Ferrero earned a fourth with a sizzling running pass and the world number eight finally succumbed when he put his return into the net.
"I was playing against one of the best claycourt players in the world and felt very good," Ferrero said. "It was a great game and I feel very happy with my form at the moment."
