Nadal To Meet Verdasco In Semi-Finals

World number one Rafa Nadal set up a semi-final showdown with fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after subduing France's Gilles Simon 6-2 7-5 7-5 at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Nadal has not dropped a set so far in the tournament, though the sixth-seeded Simon came the closest when he held a set point in the 10th game of the second set while Nadal was serving.

However, the 22-year-old from Mallorca held and then broke Simon in the next game before serving out for the second set.

Nadal broke Simon twice in the third set to win the match in two hours 27 minutes.

Nadal's meeting with Verdasco on Friday will be the first time two Spanish men have met in the semi-finals at the Australian Open since the tournament opened its doors to professionals in 1969.

Australian Open men's singles quarter-finals RESULTS on Wednesday (prefix number denotes
seeding, * new result) 

 * 1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat 6-Gilles Simon (France) 6-2 7-5
7-5
14-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat 5-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France)
7-6(2) 3-6 6-3 6-2