Nadal reaches Madrid semis

Madrid, May 10 (AP): Defending champion Rafael Nadal gave his clay-court doldrums a boost by reaching the Madrid Open semifinals Friday with a dominant performance against Thomas Berdych.

In the women's tournament, two-time defending champion Serena Williams withdrew with a leg injury, while Maria Sharapova ousted Li Na in the quarterfinals.

The top-ranked Nadal had lost his previous two quarterfinal matches on clay for his worst run on the surface in a decade. But buoyed on by a partisan crowd, Nadal overpowered Berdych 6-4, 6-2 to advance at the Magic Box.

"I brought great energy and intensity to it and that's the best news, that it's my best (on clay) yet," Nadal said.

Nadal has been improving with every match in Madrid after losing at the quarterfinals stage in preceding tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona.

But he showed no sign of the nerves that had uncharacteristically crept into the game of the most successful clay-court player ever as he pushed Berdych to the corners and punished him with a powerful forehand that accounted for 16 of his winners.