MASON, Ohio (AP) -- Nearly five hours of tennis in one day caught up with Rafael Nadal, who couldn't keep up with a much fresher Mardy Fish and lost 6-3, 6-4 at the Western & Southern Open on Friday.
Fish's first career win over the second-ranked Nadal sent him into the tournament's semifinals for the second straight year. Fourth-seeded Andy Murray also reached the semifinals. In the wide-open women's bracket, Maria Sharapova advanced in straight sets in Mason, Ohio.
Nadal's tired legs and burned fingertips had something to do with the American's breakthrough win. A day earlier, the 25-year-old Spaniard needed three tiebreakers and 3 hours, 38 minutes to beat Fernando Verdasco. That was followed by a 70-minute doubles match.
Nadal burned the tips of his index and middle fingers on a hot plate at a restaurant before the tournament began.
Sharapova advanced easily into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-2 win over 10th-seeded Samantha Stosur.
The seventh-ranked Sharapova, who lost in last year's finals to Kim Clijsters, won a challenge on match point to improve to 3-0 this year and 9-0 in her career against Stosur.
"I did many good things today that caused her a lot of trouble,'' Sharapova said. "I didn't give her much time to do the things she likes to do.''
Stosur is confident that she'll eventually beat Sharapova.
"It's possible to win,'' she said. "I've got to believe that, but I guess it's back to the drawing board.''
The 10th-ranked Stosur was making her first appearance at this U.S. Open tuneup after losing in the final last week at Toronto.
Sharapova will play the winner of the match between unseeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and No. 2-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia, the highest seed remaining in the tournament.
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Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/tennis/08/19/cincinnati-friday.ap/index.html?eref=si_latest
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