Champion Rafa Nadal cut loose after a shaky French Open start to batter Robin Soderling 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 and Andy Murray again tried to tie himself in knots before easily sealing his semi-final spot on Wednesday.
Rafa Nadal said he was not playing well enough to lift the French Open title despite breezing past Ivan Ljubicic in their fourth-round match on Monday.
David Ferrer, the lesser known Spaniard in the ATP World Tour Finals, burst out of Rafa Nadal's shadow to reach the last four on Wednesday with a demolition job on World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the O2 Arena, in London.
World number one Rafa Nadal called on tennis authorities to enforce a two-year rolling ranking system to preserve the health of players.
A relentless Novak Djokovic shrugged off Juan Martin Del Potro while Andy Murray overcame a nasty ankle injury as the second and fourth seeds joined champion Rafa Nadal in the French Open fourth round on Saturday.
Images from Day 7 at the French Open in Paris, on Saturday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'I am still able to prioritise all the things in my life the right way'
Novak Djokovic's tremendous run of form since the start of the year means the Serb has already booked his spot at the ATP World Tour finals in London.
Novak Djokovic continued his domination over world number one Rafa Nadal ahead of the French Open by claiming the Rome Masters crown 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday to stretch his unbeaten run this year to 37 matches.
Rafa Nadal made sure of retaining his world number one status at the French Open after cruising past Croat Marin Cilic 6-1, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Rome Masters on Friday.
Roger Federer failed to make the quarter-finals of a tournament for the first time in a year on Thursday while Rafa Nadal returned to form in the third round of the Rome Masters despite almost withdrawing with a fever.
With a crop of talented young players knocking on the door of the exclusive men's Grand Slam club, the 'Big Four' hegemony over the game's top tournaments may be coming to a close.
Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, will step down as his coach after this year's ATP Tour, as he feels he has been sidelined by other figures in the player's entourage, he told an Italian tennis magazine.
World number one Rafa Nadal began his quest for a third claycourt title in a month with a 6-1, 6-3 drubbing of unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the Madrid Masters second round Wednesday.
The sight of a stricken Rafa Nadal being finished off by fellow Spaniard David Ferrer at the Australian Open on Wednesday was a stark reminder of the precipice he walks in search of sporting perfection.
Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro won a semi-final thriller against Spain's Rafa Nadal on Saturday, outgunning the Spaniard 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5) in a nervy final set tie-breaker to advance to the Olympic singles final.
Rafa Nadal underlined his crushing dominance on clay when he overwhelmed Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 to win a sixth Barcelona Open title in seven years on Sunday.
World number one Rafa Nadal underlined his crushing dominance on clay when he overwhelmed Spanish compatriot David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 to win a sixth Barcelona Open title in seven years on Sunday.
World number one Rafa Nadal notched up his 500th career win on Saturday and clinched a place in the Barcelona Open final by beating unseeded Croatian Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-2.
Rafa Nadal's possession of three grand slams makes him the deserving favourite to win the Australian Open, arch-rival and defending champion Roger Federer said on Saturday.
Spaniards Rafa Nadal and David Ferrer will lock horns again in the Monte Carlo Masters final after the claycourt conquistadors sealed contrasting victories in their semi-finals on Saturday.
Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer remained on course for their first head-to-head clash this year after easily winning their third round matches at the Sony Ericsson Open on Monday.
Nadal, Roger get in the groove for the Big W
The Spaniard leads 23-15 on a head-to-head basis but the Swiss has won the last five encounters.
The Scotsman doesn't expect to win US Open this year
Novak Djokovic claimed his third ATP World Tour title in a perfect season by beating top-seeded Spaniard Rafa Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Sunday.
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League
Novak Djokovic extended his perfect record this season to 17-0 with a thrilling 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory over three-times champion Roger Federer on Saturday to reach the Indian Wells final.
Spanish World No 2 Rafa Nadal showed little sign of post-US Open fatigue when he thrashed France's Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-0, 6-1 in the opening singles rubber of their Davis Cup semi-final on Friday.
Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman ended a dream run at the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Wednesday on a high, despite losing 7-5, 6-4 to world number one Rafa Nadal in the fourth round.
Zinedine Zidane has been reappointed as Real Madrid coach nine months after resigning, replacing Argentine Santiago Solari.
Rafa Nadal will make himself available for Spain's Davis Cup quarter-final against United States or Chile in July, the world number one said after Saturday's victory over Belgium.
Holders Inter Milan earned their coach a reprieve to lead a group of seven teams through to the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, a night lit up by Lionel Messi's customary finesse and Wayne Rooney's goalscoring return.
Spain's talisman Rafael Nadal sealed a sixth Davis Cup title for his country on Sunday when they beat Canada 2-0 in the final of the revamped event.
Tennis World No 1 and Real Mallorca shareholder Rafa Nadal has hit out at governing body UEFA for excluding the financially-troubled La Liga club from European competition this season.
A first-half goal from new signing Alessandro Matri gave Juventus a sweet 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the derby of Italy on Sunday, dealing a huge blow to their opponents' bid to win a sixth successive scudetto.
Images from Day 2 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Monday
Novak Djokovic brilliantly dominated a listless Andy Murray to claim his second Australian Open title on Sunday to confirm the arrival of a genuine third force at the top of men's tennis.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will put friendship aside when they meet in Sunday's Australian Open final to decide who fills the power vacuum left by the early exits of Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer.
