( CNN ) -- World No . 1 Rafael Nadal will face longtime rival Roger Federer in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters on Saturday in a rematch of the event 's past two title matches . Defending champion Nadal crushed fellow left-hander Michael Llodra 6-2 6-2 on Friday , needing just 75 minutes to clinch his 35th successive victory on clay against a French player appearing in his first top-level quarterfinal on the surface . Federer , who beat the Spaniard in the 2009 final , later overcame Robin Soderling -- who inflicted Nadal 's last defeat on clay at that year 's French Open . The world No . 3 triumphed 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 6-4 against the Swedish fifth seed in one hour 42 minutes . After successive titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona , Nadal 's progress has been simpler this week following a third-round walkover when rejuvenated former world No . 4 Juan Martin del Potro pulled out with a hip injury . `` Today it was quite good , especially here with the altitude it 's a little bit more complicated because it 's more difficult to go over him , '' Nadal told the ATP Tour website after conceding only eight points on his serve and breaking Llodra four times . `` It 's a bit more difficult with the serve . I felt quite good on the court , I served well . In the second set there were quite a lot of rallies and not so many in the first , and I think I played really well . '' Friday 's opening quarterfinal saw Thomaz Bellucci continued his giantkilling run by ousting seventh seed Tomas Berdych , beating the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up 7-6 ( 7-2 ) 6-3 . The 23-year-old became the first Brazilian since Gustavo Kuerten in 2003 to reach the last-four stage in the Spanish capital as he followed up his earlier shock win over British fourth seed Andy Murray . Bellucci , ranked 36th , reached the semis of a Masters 1000 event for the first time . `` Of course , yesterday 's match gave me a lot of confidence that I was needing , '' he said . `` I was losing some games and was n't playing very well , but yesterday I played my best tennis . `` Today I had a lot of confidence on the court and I managed to get a victory . I played well and I have got even more confidence for tomorrow 's match . '' Bellucci next faces either world No . 2 Novak Djokovic , who is unbeaten in 29 consecutive matches this year , or Spanish sixth seed David Ferrer -- the losing finalist in Monte Carlo and Barcelona last month . `` They are losing very few matches , but they are not invincible , they can also lose , '' Bellucci said ahead of the duo 's clash in Friday 's late match . Germany 's Julia Gorges continued her fine form in the women 's event in Madrid , with the Stuttgart champion beating Russia 's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the semifinals . She won 6-4 6-2 to follow up her second successive win over world No . 1 Caroline Wozniacki and set up a clash with fourth seed Victoria Azarenka . The Belarusian battled past unseeded Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3 3-6 6-2 to move to within one win of claiming the No . 4 ranking -- which no woman from her country has done before . Her last meeting with Gorges ended in disappointment in Stuttgart last month when the 21-year-old Azarenka had to retire hurt with a shoulder injury after winning the first set . Chinese sixth seed Li Na also went through to the last four , beating American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4 3-6 6-4 . Both players had beaten Italians in the previous round , with Mattek-Sands upsetting third seed and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone . Australian Open finalist Li will take on Czech 16th seed Petra Kvitova for a place in Sunday 's title match . Kvitova , 21 , came from behind to beat Slovakia 's Dominika Cibulkova 3-6 6-3 7-5 to follow up her earlier win over Russian second seed Vera Zvonareva . Cibulkova eliminated former No . 1 Maria Sharapova in the previous round .
Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal through to semifinals of Madrid Masters . Spaniard will play world No . 1 Roger Federer , who beat him in the quarter final . Thomaz Bellucci upsets Czech seventh seed Tomas ##ek to also reach semis . Australian Open champion Li Na of China through to last four of men 's event .