• Australian Open, Day 10

Nadal hopes dashed by Ferrer

There was deep frustration for Rafael Nadal © PA Photos

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Murray takes out Dolgopolov
Clijsters and Zvonareva win through

Rafael Nadal's dream of holding all four grand slams at the same time has been dashed, as the world No. 1 was beaten 6-4 6-2 6-3 by fellow Spaniard David Ferrer.

The scoreline does not tell the whole story, as Nadal was hampered by a leg injury from the third game of the first set. He took a lengthy medical timeout early in the first set and emerged with heavy strapping on his left leg. The world No. 1 played on, but his movement was limited and with Ferrer playing the perfect game by keeping the points long and moving his fellow countryman around the court, defeat came after two and a half hours.

Ferrer came out swinging from the hip and moved Nadal around the court like an old master. The world No. 1 was pushed behind the baseline by the weight of Ferrer's shot and dropped an epic opening service game that lasted 23 minutes.

After taking the break, Ferrer made the cardinal sin of dropping his own serve to get back on serve. Nadal secured the break when running for a drop shot and flicking the ball past Ferrer. But he immediately grimaced and left the court for a medical time out.

Nadal returned after an age with his left leg heavily strapped, suggesting a hamstring or thigh problem. Ferrer did not let the delay concern him as he worked Nadal around the court and broke thanks to some brutal hitting.

Nadal's movement was impaired and he looked bewildered by the events that were unfolding. He pulled up sharply while chasing down a ball into the forehand corner during the seventh game of the first set but he continued to fight and broke back to bring the opening set back on serve.

David Ferrer kept his composure to seal a place in the semi-finals © Getty Images

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Ferrer looked fazed by Nadal's problems for a stage in the first set, but he restored his focus. Nadal saved two set points with fine volleys, but third time proved a charm for Ferrer as the No. 1 seed threw a forehand into the tramlines.

Nadal's movement improved at the start of the second and breaks were traded, but a 10-minute break for the Australia Day firework celebrations did not aid his cause. Whether the delay caused the leg to go cold is a matter of conjecture, but he pulled up on a couple of occasions when chasing balls into the corners and Ferrer reeled off five games on the spin to open up a two-set cushion.

Nadal was a beaten man in the third set, but he refused to retire and Ferrer blocked out his opponent's troubles to close out the match.

Nadal suffered heartbreak 12 months ago when a knee injury forced him to retire against Andy Murray, but he bounced back to win the next three grand slams and that will be the crumb of comfort for him to cling to.

Up next for Ferrer is Andy Murray in the last four and on this form he will be a stern test for the in-form Brit.

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