Geo436.com blog: Nadal into semi-finals at Thailand Open

Geo 436 BANGKOK: World number one Rafael Nadal has kept his excellent recent form continued as he has eased into the Thailand Open semi-finals.

Nadal, who won his 9th grand slam at last month”s US Open, defeated Kazakhstan”s Mikhail Kukushkin in straight sets, 6-2 6-3.

This victory marked Nadal”s 9th straight match win, and he said, “It was a much better performance than in the last round.”

The 24-year-old is the only seed left in the competition after Ernests Gulbis later lost to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

The Latvian fourth seed came up short in the first-set tie-break before levelling it up in the second, but ultimately was undone by Spaniard Lopez 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 6-3.

He now faces compatriot Nadal, who – despite completing a career Grand Slam with that win at Flushing Meadows in September – says he can still improve.

“I”m not the best tennis player yet,” he insisted. “Winning and losing depends on how I prioritise. I just want to enjoy it and become a better player year by year.”

Unseeded Jarkko Nieminen and Benjamin Becker booked their places in the semi-finals after impressive runs in a tournament decimated by early exits for top-ranked players.