Paul-Henri Mathieu/Getty Images

Nadal and Mathieu Move Into Semis

August 12, 2005 - Top seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal secured a berth in the Rogers Cup semifinals, defeating Argentina's Mariano Puerta 6-3, 6-1 on Friday afternoon at the Uniprix Stadium in Montreal.

The match lasted just one hour and 12 minutes and quickly went the way of the Spaniard, who dropped a set to Puerta in the finals of the French Open this year.

This will be Nadal's fourth semifinal appearance in a Masters Series event this year. Champion on clay in Rome and Monte Carlo, he reached the final on hard court in Miami.

He'll take on surprising Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, who knocked off Slovakia's Karol Beck, in what will be Mathieu's first career Masters Series semifinal.

“I'm playing really well this week,” said Nadal. “I'm feeling good on court. Sure, I'd love to meet Agassi in the final but I learned my lesson a long time ago not to take anything for granted. Every match is a tough one and I've got to win my semifinal match before I get there. Mathieu is playing really well here – it's not going to be easy against him.”

Asked to explain his ambidextrousness, Nadal offered this as an explanation: “I do everything with my right hand, but I play tennis left-handed. I started playing with two hands on both sides so I naturally moved to playing with just my left. That could be why my serve isn't so powerful,” he laughed.

Puerta, on the other hand, didn't make any excuses. “There was nothing I could have done better to beat him,” he admitted. “It was also the first time all week I played a left-hander.”

Mathieu Continues His Dream Week

France's Paul-Henri Mathieu, 23, has reached his first ever Masters Series semifinal.

He easily eliminated Karol Beck of Slovakia 6-1, 6-2 in one hour and six minutes. Mathieu registered seven aces and broke Beck four times.

Winner of two International Series tournaments in his career, Mathieu reached the fourth round of the French Open in 2002. Mathieu is currently 61 st on the ATP Entry Rankings.

To reach the semis in Montreal, he upset third seeded American Andy Roddick in the first round, than knocked off Arnaud Clément of France, Belgium's Olivier Rochus, and now Beck.

“ I knew he played two tough matches so I tried to make him move and to not miss too much,” said Mathieu. “At the end it was difficult because he was going for everything, so I tried to put the ball in play and just keep him moving. I never expected to make the semifinals here – I would have been kidding myself if I told myself before the tournament that I'd be in the semis.”

Mathieu, who was a Junior French Open champion, knows he never gives up when things get rough. “I've always trained hard and I think my work has finally paid off.”

Mathieu and Nadal have only played once on the professional circuit – on clay in Hamburg in 2003. The Spaniard won 7-5, 6-4.

One of the most accessible tournaments

The Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is more accessible than ever thanks to the Uniprix Zone, Neighbourhood Day, and Tide & Downy Family Day.

Excellent tickets are still available for all sessions on Centre Court and for the National Bank Court. Tickets start at just $10, with the final weekend starting at just $40. For more information on this tournament or to buy tickets, call (514) 273-1515 (toll free 1-866-338-2685).

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