By DPA
Miami : Spaniard Rafael Nadal shut luckless American James Blake out in the quarterfinals of a big event for the second week in succession while fourth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Mark Knowles of Bahamas entered the doubles semi-finals of the Miami Masters tennis tournament here.
Bhupathi and Knowles defeated eighth seeds Leander Paes of India and Paul Hanley of Australia 6-2, 6-7 (8), 10-6 in the quarterfinals Wednesday.
The Indo-Bahamas pair will now play the Czech pair of Martin Damm and Pavel Vizner in the semi-finals. Damm and Vizner defeated the French duo Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 14-12 in another quarterfinal encounter.
Nadal rallied to beat Blake 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. Ninth seed Blake failed to come good for the second time against the world number two who played the final three years ago against Roger Federer.
Nadal will next line up in the semi-finals against Czech Tomas Berdych, who defeated Russian Igor Andreev 6-4, 6-4.
Blake had little to say for his effort, just that it “was a little more disappointing, last week I feel like I played my game. I just didn’t play it well enough.
“I felt like I played my game for a while, and then I got a little indecisive. I wasn’t volleying very well, and I think that affected me because it made me a little more passive. I wasn’t attacking as much,” he said.
Nadal, who failed to defend his Indian Wells title this year, was glad with his performance three months into the 2008 season.
“For me, both Indian Wells and Miami were good, as I made the semi-finals in both. The best players of the world are here, playing on hard court. The three most important tournaments this year on hard (Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami), I was in the semis in all three,” he said.
“I’m playing well, for sure, much better here than Australia.”
In the women’s quarterfinals, Elena Dementieva fell victim to a back injury that forced her to withdraw 1-6, 1-3 and hand over a spot to Jelena Jankovic.
Jankovic, seeded fourth, was untroubled by the Russian No.10, with Dementieva taking treatment after losing the first set in 35 minutes. Moments later she was forced to give up after a double-fault left her 0-30 in the fifth game of the second set after 58 minutes.
Jankovic will next play Vera Zvonareva, who beat 13th seed Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-4 in an all-Russian clash.
Results:
Women’s singles (quarterfinals): Jelena Jankovic, 4th seed, Serbia, def. Elena Dementieva, 10, Russia, 6-1, 3-1, retired due to back trouble; Vera Zvonareva, Russia, def. Dinara Safina, 13, Russia, 7-5, 6-4
Men’s singles (quarterfinals): Rafael Nadal, 2nd seed, Spain, def. James Blake, 9, US, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1; Tomas Berdych, 10, Czech Republic, def. Igor Andreev, Russia, 6-4, 6-4
Men’s doubles (quarterfinals): Mahesh Bhupathi (Ind) and Mark Knowles (Bahamas) def. Leander Paes (Ind) and Paul Hanley (Australia) 6-2, 6-7 (8), 10-6