Nadal, Roddick rip up opponents in straight sets(Roundup)

INDIAN WELLS - World No.1 Rafael Nadal of Spain will aim for a third straight victory over Andy Roddick in a semi-final clash at the Indian Wells Masters.

Both seeds whipped through quarter-final challenges in straight sets, with 2007 champion Nadal overwhelming Juan Del Potro 6-2, 6-4 as the Argentine took treatment on a wrist in the opening set.

Roddick, seeded seventh, dismissed Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-2 to send the defending champion out in a 68-minute rush.

‘It’s a difficult match-up for anyone,’ the American said of the date with the number one. ‘He seems to like this surface and it probably favours him.

‘But with the way I serve, I think I’m always in there with a shot. I’m returning better, and I’m able to mix it up with my returns. We’ll see. I’ll obviously have to play very well.’

The rout improved Roddick’s best start of his career. He stands 23-3 after playing in his fifth quarter from as many events in 2009.

Djokovic won Dubai last month but suffered a pair of Davis Cup defeats a week later. Roddick ended each set with a break as the Serb lost serve four times.

‘I just didn’t have any momentum on the court, no feel for the ball, no movement,’ said World No. three Djokovic. ‘I had no solutions.

‘Overall it was a very bad day, there’s not much to say. He played very solid but he didn’t do anything special. It was all me making an incredible amount of unforced errors. This was one of the worst matches, certainly, I’ve played.’

Nadal broke Del Potro four times, with the South American saving a match point in the penultimate game before the Spaniard inevitably advanced.

‘It will be an interesting match against Roddick,’ said Nadal, who beat the American in the Davis Cup and on grass at Queen’s Club in 2008. ‘Andy’s playing fantastic, he had a good win over Novak. All I can do is play my best, like always.’

Australian Open winner Nadal stands 4-0 against Del Potro and owns a 19-2 record for the season. He has now reached the semi-finals or better Indian Wells for the fourth straight year.

Roddick won the Memphis title last month and now has 20 victories at Indian Wells.

On the women’s side, Vera Zvonareva followed up on defeated doubles partner Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-3 in their semi-final.

The fourth-seeded Russian winner took less than 90 minutes to go through in spring heat in the desert. Zvonareva, who reached the Australian Open final four, now owns a 4-0 record over Azarenka and has not lost a set in that series.

‘I was trying to concentrate and tried to keep my returns in as much as possible,’ said the winner. ‘It’s not going to happen every day, but I’m pretty satisfied about my game overall today.

‘I had a few mistakes here and there, but I was going for my shots. I’m happy to win this one.’

Azarenka, who had put out top seed Dinara Safina a round earlier, will move into the WTA top 10 for the first time as a result of her performance.

Zvonareva will face fifth seed and holder Ana Ivanovic, who defeated tournament teenage surprise packet Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-2, 6-3.