13 May 2009: Djokovic, Nadal Close In On Re-Match

Serbian Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 Rafael Nadal are just one win away from clashing at the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, in what would be a repeat of this year's ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo and Rome finals.
Djokovic recorded his 36th win of the ATP World Tour 2009 season after beating Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open. Djokovic beat Seppi in three sets en route to the Belgrade title last week.
The 21-year-old Djokovic was able to covert three break point opportunities in the one-hour and 39-minute encounter on Arantxa Sanchez Vicario Court. Djokovic won 70 per cent of service points and hit four aces to improve to 6-0 lifetime against Seppi, who dropped to an 11-14 mark.
"I've been playing a lot of tennis matches lately, so certainly I'm exhausted, physically but more mentally," explained Djokovic. "I think I'm in quite good shape and I worked hard on my fitness prior to this clay-court season and I think it's paying off with the results. I'm really happy with what I've been achieving so far."
Djokovic has won two ATP World Tour titles at Dubai (d. Ferrer) and Belgrade (d. Kubot) this year and has amassed a 36-10 match record (14-4 on clay). He has also finished runner-up at three successive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments at Miami (l. to Murray), Monte-Carlo and Rome (l. to Nadal both times).
Djokovic will next meet former World No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic in the quarter-finals. Ljubibic upset World No. 7 Gilles Simon of France 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 by saving 10 of 12 break points in the two-hour and 10-minute encounter. It was the pair's third career meeting. Ljubicic improved to 14-10 on the season, while 24-year-old Simon - a semi-finalist at Marseille and Dubai this season - dropped to an 18-13 mark.
ATP World Tour Champion Rafael Nadal advanced to the last eight without hitting a ball on Thursday, after his third-round opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany retired prior to the match with a left leg injury. Nadal is chasing his sixth trophy of the season this week. American Andy Roddick also advanced when Russian Nikolay Davydenko withdrew, also due to a leg injury.
Nadal next faces fellow Spaniard and ATP World Tour No. 8 Fernando Verdasco, who shrugged off a determined first-set challenge from Argentine Juan Monaco to win 7-5, 6-2. Nadal boasts an 8-0 career record against his countryman and has beaten Verdasco twice this year at the Australian Open and two weeks ago in Rome.
Loaded Quarter-finalsSeven Top 10 players have reached the Madrid quarter-finals, marking the fourth time in 2009 that seven of the Top 10 players in the South African Airways ATP Rankings have reached the last eight at the same tournament. Last year the most Top 10 players to reach the quarter-finals was six. Here is a breakdown:Australian Open: 1) Nadal 2) Federer 3) Djokovic 6) del Potro 7) Tsonga 8) Simon 9) RoddickIndian Wells: 1) Nadal 2) Federer 3) Djokovic 4) Murray 6) del Potro 7) Roddick 10) Verdasco Miami: 1) Nadal 2) Federer 3) Djokovic 4) Murray 6) Roddick 7) del Potro 9) Verdasco Madrid: 1) Nadal 2) Federer 3) Murray 4) Djokovic 5) del Potro 6) Roddick 8) Verdasco