Nadal and Ferrer face off in Melbourne

Spain is guaranteed a representative in the semifinals at the Australian Open after Rafa Nadal, the top seed, and David Ferrer - at number seven the second-highest-ranked player in the country - both won their quarterfinal matches with relative ease on Monday.

Nadal destroyed the number-15 seed, Marin Cilic, in two-and-a-half hours, breaking the giant Croat five times out of 14 opportunities and capitalizing on his opponent's 48 unforced errors. "I felt very good today. The best thing is that I played better than in my previous games," said the world number one. "I played with more intensity, more rhythm and more inside the court. My serve is working better as well. That was my best game here up to now."

Ferrer, who faced the tournament's surprise package in 20-year-old qualifier Milos Raonic, dropped the first set but recovered to seal a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory.

"It was a tough match," reflected Ferrer. "Milos is an unbelievable player. He served very well. When I won the third set it got easier, and he tired in the fourth. When I lost the first set I made only one mistake. It was amazing that one mistake can lose a set. He played really well."

Nadal or Ferrer will play either Andy Murray, seeded fifth, or Alexandr Dolgopolov, the 46-ranked Ukrainian who scored the upset of the tournament in beating fourth-seed Robin Söderling in five sets, in the semifinals. Nadal is the clear favorite to make that appointment, something even Ferrer was happy to concede. "It's more of the same. It's not that I don't believe, I always try to do the best I can, but Rafa's record against me is there for all to see."

Nadal leads Ferrer 11-3 in their personal account but two of Ferrer's wins were achieved on hard courts, notably at the 2007 US Open when he beat Nadal in four sets in the fourth round. Ferrer went on to the semifinals that year, his best Grand Slam performance to date.

Nadal, though, has won their last seven meetings.

"I think he'll go out to win the same way he always does," the Mallorcan said. "He's playing at a really high level at the moment."