Roger, Rafa final on cards

– Rafael Nadal (above) will play Marin Cilic in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters today after the world No 1 was forced to fight past Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.

The Spaniard, who has never won the Shanghai showpiece, is chasing a seventh title in a brilliant season and a hat-trick of triumphs on the trot, having been crowned US Open and China Open champion in recent weeks.

The 16-time Grand Slam winner saw off the Bulgarian Dimitrov in Beijing last week but suffered some hairy moments in getting the better of him again in a nervy quarterfinal.

“Very happy, it was a very tough match, both of us played a very high level of tennis,” said 31-yearold Nadal, the top seed.

“I enjoyed it, a great battle between two players that are playing all the time very focused and intense points all the time.”

Croatian fourth seed Cilic – who has defeated Nadal only once in five matches – beat unseeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4.

Swiss legend Roger Federer defeated Frenchman Richard Gasquet to set up a semifinal clash with Juan Martin del Potro. Federer was relatively untroubled as he eased to a 7-5, 6-4 victory over the unseeded Gasquet.

Del Potro’s participation is in doubt after he injured a wrist in his 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal victory over Viktor Troicki. –

Shanghai