Rafael Nadal, playing his third tournament in four weeks after a seven-month injury layoff, beat Argentina's Leondardo Mayer 6-1, 7-5 in the quarters and will now play Nicolas Almagro.

Ferrer, the top seed and three-time defending champion whose world number four ranking puts him one spot higher than Nadal, breezed past Italy's Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-1 to book a semi-final clash with Fabio Fognini.