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WORLD SPORT

Djokovic quits as Nadal marches on

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Title holder Nadal says he is playing his best tennis of the French Open.

PARIS, France -- Champion Rafael Nadal coasted into the last four of the French Open in Paris on Wednesday when Serbian rival Novak Djokovic retired injured when trailing by two sets to love in their quarterfinal.

Djokovic, 19, needed treatment for a thigh problem during the match and quit at 15-30 in the first game of the third set having lost the first two 6-4 6-4.

Nadal, who now has 58 straight wins on clay, faces Ivan Ljubicic for a place in the final after the Croatian fourth seed beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 6-2 6-2 6-3.

"At the beginning of the second set I had the feeling he was injured," said Nadal, who put the Serbian teenager firmly in his place off the court when his rival suggested he had been in control of the match until his problem.

"Oh, yes?" said the 20-year-old Spaniard. "So he had the problem in the first game or what?"

Nadal did admit he had lost concentration briefly after Djokovic summoned the trainer for treatment at 3-0 down in the second set.

Djokovic broke Nadal's serve to trail only 4-2 but the Mallorcan quickly regained control.

"I felt good, I felt confident," said Nadal. "When he had the problem, I lost my concentration. It was my fault.

"But before that, 6-4, 3-0, I was playing well, with confidence and improving in my game."

Djokovic was second best for most of the match but said: "At the start he was not so comfortable, I saw that.

"I think I had the control of the match. I just didn't finish it on the right way when I needed to.

"For sure he's the best on this surface, but he's not unbeatable.

"I think I could win today. He didn't know how to play against me, because he never played against me, so it was a difficult position for him as well."

Reports denied

The Serbian has denied media reports he plans to switch to representing Britain and on Wednesday said he just wanted to concentrate on playing.

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Djokovic received treatment during the match.

"It creates big pressure," he said. ""I've said it's not true and I don't want to talk about it anymore.I just need to be focused on my tennis."

Nadal, meanwhile, said he was nearing peak condition with a potential final against world number one Roger Federer looming.

"I'm playing better and better. Maybe I am arriving in the semifinals with my best level in the last two weeks. That's the most important thing."

Djokovic had never been beyond the third round of a grand slam before and ousted three seeds on his way to the last eight.

Big-serving Ljubicic powered into his first grand slam semifinal when he ended Benneteau's run with a clinical win.

"I did something incredible by reaching the semi-final," said Ljubicic, who lost to Nadal in the Madrid Masters on hard court in March.

"It will be completely different. It's Paris, it's clay.

"I will have no pressure on Friday. I know that I will have chances, I will have to take them."

Benneteau, whose main ambition was to keep the ball in play, held serve for the first time when he levelled at 2-2 in the second set, only for Ljubicic to win the next four games and seal a two-set lead.

The Croatian decisively broke to love for 4-2 in the decider when Benneteau double-faulted, before wrapping up the match after two hours 14 minutes.

The result means it will be the first time since 1985 that the French Open semifinals will feature all four top seeds.

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