Fri Jan 4 16:22:08 2008

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Nadal, Moya to clash in Chennai semis

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Chennai, India (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Rafael Nadal will face fellow Spaniard and good friend Carlos Moya in Saturday's semifinals at the season-opening Chennai Open tennis tournament.

The reigning three-time French Open champion and two-time Wimbledon runner-up Nadal pasted fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3, 6-2, while a third- seeded Moya handled France's Florent Serra 6-3, 6-4, with the help of eight aces, on the hardcourts at SDAT Tennis Stadium. The former French Open titlist Moya is a two-time Chennai champion (2004-05) and was the runner-up here two years ago.

The 21-year-old Nadal is 4-2 lifetime against his 31-year-old former mentor Moya, including a victory in the Roland Garros quarterfinals last year.

Saturday's other semi will pit fourth-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny against 19-year-old Croat Marin Cilic, as Youzhny dismissed defending Chennai champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-4, 6-4, while Cilic erased Dutchman Robin Haase 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in Friday's quarterfinals. Malisse topped Austrian Stefan Koubek in last year's finale here.

Chennai serves as a tune-up for the Australian Open, which will get underway January 14 in Melbourne.