VIDEO: Shanghai Masters Friday Highlights

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – Rafa Nadal moved into the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters Friday when Ivan Ljubicic became the eighth player to retire from the $3.24 million tournament.

The Spanish top seed had just evened the match up at 3-6 6-3 when 30-year-old Ljubicic decided his left hip could no longer take the strain of the tight contest.

“It was tough, it was a difficult match,” said world number two Nadal. “I’m sorry for him, it’s not very nice to win like this. I just wish him a fast recovery.”

Despite seeing an eighth player depart injured from a tournament already without Roger Federer and Andy Murray, who withdrew before the start, organizers will be pleased that Nadal is staying for another day at least.

That had not looked likely when Ljubicic went a set up in a start to the match that recalled Nadal’s defeat to another big-serving Croatian, Marin Cilic, at the China Open last week.

Nadal rallied in the second, however, and will face compatriot Feliciano Lopez Saturday hoping to reach his first final since knee and abdominal injuries disrupted his season.

Second seed Novak Djokovic earlier came through a tough test of his nerve at the hands of Gilles Simon to set up a semi-final against sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko with a 6-3 2-6 6-2 victory.

The 22-year-old, chasing a third successive title in China after last year’s Masters Cup triumph and last week’s victory in Beijing, needed to show real mental strength in a frenetic third set against the French hustler.

RACKET SMASHING

The pair traded two breaks each in a dramatic first four games, Djokovic at one stage going from chest-pounding delight to racket-smashing fury in a matter of three points.

“Most of the time when I smash the racket things go better from then on,” said Djokovic. “The positive thing is that I managed to find a good solution after so many ups and downs from both sides. A very emotional, very intense match.”

The Serbian, who will be world number three again next week, broke Simon again for 3-2, and was the first to hold serve before rattling through the remainder of the set.

Sixth seed Davydenko earlier survived a tactical switch which won Czech Radek Stepanek the second set to claim a 6-1 4-6 6-1 victory and a chance to avenge a crushing defeat at the hands of Djokovic in the Masters Cup final here last year.

“I had no chance,” Davydenko recalled. “He played very good baseline. Really, I could not do anything. If I still have good control, maybe I have a chance.”

Lopez upset ninth seed Robin Soderling 7-6 6-3 to reach his first semi-final of the season.

The world number 41 needed a tiebreak to win the first set against the big-serving Swede but broke early in the second and never looked back.

Lopez dropped his racket and raised his eyes to the evening sky in celebration after his biggest win of the year.

“I just tried to play my best tennis and to play my best weapons as best as I can,” he said. “It’s my first semis, and I’m so happy.”