Shanghai: Andy Roddick lost to David Ferrer 6-7 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (2) on Friday in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters.
Ferrer had a string of errors to drop the first-set tie-breaker in the match, but he cleaned up his game in the second set, striking winners off the forehand and backhand side to break Roddick twice.
The 15th-ranked American had an opportunity to go up early in the third, but he wasted three break points on Ferrer's first service game - and never challenged the Spaniard's serve again.
Fifth-ranked Ferrer finished with 49 winners - twice as many as Roddick. Both players had 11 aces.
"I thought the second and third sets, he played at an extremely high level and served pretty well," Roddick said. "You know, you normally don't count on him making a lot of first serves, hitting aces. I felt like today he did that and got himself out of trouble a couple of times."
Kei Nishikori of Japan also advanced with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Alexandr Dolgopolov. Felicano Lopez beat 15th-seeded Florian Mayer of Germany 6-2, 6-4, in just over an hour to set up an all-Spanish semi-final clash with Ferrer. Mayer had ousted Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Thursday.
After a win over fourth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Nishikori will become the highest-ranked Japanese player in ATP tour history. Ranked 47th, he's projected to rise to 32 with his quarter-final win - beating Shuzo Matsuoka's previous best ranking of 46.
The 21-year-old Nishikori, who is coached by former top-10 player Brad Gilbert, is having his best season on tour, reaching one final and four semi-finals. He has won more matches this year (32) than in the previous four years combined.
Nishikori, who roomed with Gilbert's son Zachary at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, said the coach's instruction has been key to improving his game.
"He knows a lot of players. He teaches me, you know, how the top players play, how I need to play," he said. "So it is helping me a lot."
Nishikori's next opponent is Andy Murray, who was once coached by Gilbert. Murray eased past Australia's Matthew Ebden 6-3, 6-2, a qualifier ranked No. 124, in Friday's last quarter-final.
Roddick had beaten Ferrer in the fourth round of the US Open, after Ferrer scored an emotional win over the American two months earlier in a Davis Cup match played in Roddick's hometown of Austin, Texas.
Ferrer also beat Roddick's teammate, Mardy Fish, to lead Spain past the Americans on their way to the Fed Cup finals against Argentina in December.
Ferrer was nearly out of the Shanghai tournament in the last round - he had to fight off three match points against countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero before winning in three sets.
With the victory, he became the fifth player to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals next month in London.
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