Ferrer forces injured Nadal out of Australian Open

"It was not easy because Rafa is a gentleman and he played with an injury as we are friendly." The statement made after he had done what nobody expected- knocking out Rafa Nadal of the Australian Open in three bludgeoning sets- says a lot about Ferrer, and about his friend, the world number one. One is a better player than he would like to admit. The other is, besides being a truly great player, someone his compatriots on the tour respect even more as a person.

The statement came moments after Ferrer had wrapped up a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Nadal, who was seen by many as on course to win in Melbourne and enter the history books as the second man to hold the four Grand Slam titles at the same time after 2010's triumphs at the French Open, Wimbledon and his first-ever US Open in September.

After a quick start to the match by the always-lively Ferrer, who broke the favorite's first service game, Nadal mysteriously disappeared from the court. Soon the trainer paid him an on-court visit, revealing heavy strapping on Nadal's left thigh.

The number one and 2009 champion in Melbourne did not seem comfortable. Unlike in previous rounds, after which he had taken plaudits from experts and analysts for his increasingly aggressive approach to hard-court tennis, hitting the ball hard and early, against Ferrer he was in reaction mode, being pushed around the court by the seventh seed.

Having lost the first set after an uneven trade-off of broken service games, Nadal tried to be more aggressive, at times coming to the net in an attempt to shorten some of the rallies. But Ferrer, the winner of a warm-up tournament in Auckland earlier this month, never stopped running and also hit line after line with his passing shots as he racked up an awe-inspiring total of 44 clean winners against Nadal's 19.

In the third set, the nine-time Grand Slam event winner was barely a husk of his real self, and Ferrer kept up the pressure to close out a superb victory for the 28-year-old from Alicante, who had lost 11 of their previous 14 meetings and the last seven consecutive encounters with the current world number one. Ferrer was the last Spaniard to knock Nadal out of a Grand Slam tournament, however, after beating his compatriot in the fourth round of the 2007 US Open.

Nadal lost at the same stage of the Australian Open last year, also suffering from injury but on that occasion against Scotland's Andy Murray, who will be Ferrer's semifinal opponent.

"It's a difficult day for me," a sorrowful Nadal said after the match. Of his decision to carry on through the pain, he said: "I hate retiring. I hated that last year and I didn't want to repeat that," before adding that he did not want to dwell on the injury and appear as if he had a "problem with losing."

"I can't say anything about the injury," Nadal said. "First of all because I don't know anything yet. Secondly, for respect to the winner and to a friend, I prefer to talk about the match. In a tennis career you have higher moments and lower moments. I have had almost always very happy moments in my career. It's part of the sport. I have to accept it, keep working and try my best in the next tournament."

Ferrer, meanwhile, has a more immediate goal: to reach his first ever Grand Slam final and attempt to complete a Spanish Slam. To do so, Ferrer will have to dispatch world number five Murray, who was given the run-around by Alexandr Dolgopolov, Robin Söderling's victor in round four, but eventually won through 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3. Either Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic awaits the winner in the final.

"It's an important game, a Grand Slam semifinal," noted Ferrer. "I'll try to do the best I can and if I win, great, champagne and pastries. Murray is a difficult opponent, he will be the favorite. It's logical; he has more experience in these situations. Tennis is a sport that doesn't lie and the ranking says it all."

Ferrer's modesty says a lot about him: the Spaniard will be world number six next Monday whatever happens before then.