• Cincinnati Masters

Baghdatis denies Nadal-Federer dream semi

Marcos Baghdatis recorded his first win over Rafael Nadal © Getty Images

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World No. 1 Rafael Nadal was dealt a blow ahead of the US Open after being sent crashing out of the Cincinnati Masters by the unseeded Marcos Baghdatis.

Nadal, on course to win three straight Grand Slam titles, was unconvincing as he fell 6-4 4-6 6-4 as Baghdatis claimed his first win over Nadal at the seventh attempt.

Baghdatis fired 18 aces past the struggling Nadal, who was made to pay for an uncharacteristic 41 unforced errors.

Nadal admitted he has plenty of work to do if he is to have any chance of completing his career Grand Slam at the US Open which starts on August 30.

"My game can improve, that's for sure," Nadal said "It must improve if I really want to have chances to have some opportunity in a week or so in New York."

Baghdatis will now meet defending champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals after the world No. 2 enjoyed a 6-4 7-5 win over Nikolay Davydenko.

Federer saved two break points at 4-4 in the opening set, before winning five games on the bounce to seal the opening set and race to a 3-0 lead in the second. Although Davydenko battled hard, he could not find any way past Federer, who had not completed a set in Cincinnati.

Federer has played just seven games after his previous opponents Denis Istomin and Philipp Kohlschreiber both retired injured.

"Today I had a good ten minutes, and all of a sudden I'm up 6-4, 2-0," Federer said. "You don't know what happened, but you're in the lead. So it's just the way it goes. You got to make the best of it, and I'm happy and it's another successful year for me here in Cincy."

Andy Roddick was too good for Novak Djokovic © Getty Images

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After all four top seeds reached the semi-finals in Toronto last week, No. 3 seed Federer is the only top four player remaining in the draw follow Nadal's exit and Andy Murray's defeat to Mardy Fish.

Andy Roddick bounced back from the disappointment of falling out of the world's top ten by sinking Novak Djokovic in the quarter-final of the Cincinnati Masters.

The world No. 13 - his lowest position since August 2006 - showed signs that he is set to recover his early-season form as he recorded a 6-4 7-5 triumph. Roddick reached three finals in his first five tournaments this year, but injury and illness have disrupted his momentum of late.

Nonetheless, he is the man who has recorded the most triumphs on hard courts this year, and he showed why as he breezed into a semi-final against Andy Murray's conqueror, Mardy Fish.

It was a routine victory for Roddick, whose menacing first serve - always such a formidable weapon - offered Djokovic few chances to make any inroads. It was a curious performance from the Serb, who appeared in a hurry to escape the scoching temperatures as he played with unbridled aggression - often injudiciously.

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