Rafael Nadal reached the semifinals of the Queen's Club ATP tournament for the first time on Friday, absorbing a barrage of lethal serving from giant Croat Ivo Karlovic to post a 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 victory. The top seed saw 35 aces whistle past his racket but displayed his trademark tenacity and plenty of grasscourt craft to sneak through to face defending champion Andy Roddick. Roddick was not even required to take to the court on Friday after his quarterfinal opponent Andy Murray withdrew with a thumb injury sustained the previous day against Ernests Gulbis. Australian Lleyton Hewitt was brushed aside by Serbia's Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2 to set up a semifinal against David Nalbandian, who won an entertaining tussle against Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 3-6, 7-6. Federer in semis World number one Roger Federer is in Saturday's semifinals of the Halle ATP tournament after racking up his 57th straight win on grass against 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis. The Swiss needed just 72 minutes to see off fifth-seed Baghdatis 6-4, 6-4 in Friday's quarterfinal and will play Germany's Nicolas Kiefer for a place in the final and is yet to drop a set in the competition. Kiefer advanced when his quarterfinal opponent Michael Llodra withdrew with an arm injury with the score at 4-0. Philipp Kohlschreiber earlier became the first German to book his semifinal place following a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Sweden's Robin Soderling. He will take on second-seed James Blake after beating wild-card Andreas Beck 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5). Kirilenko in semis In Barcelona, second-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia defeated last year's runner-up Edina Gallovits 7-6 (3), 6-1 to reach the semifinals of the Torneo Barcelona on Friday. Kirilenko will play France's Stephanie Cohen-Aloro, who beat Russia's Ekaterina Ivanova 6-2, 6-1. The Czech Republic's Lucia Safarova retired with a right hamstring injury against Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez after losing the first set 6-4 and trailing 4-1 in the second. Italy's Sara Errani was eliminated by Spaniard Nuria Llagostera Vives 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. Davydenko thru In Poland, top-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated fellow Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-4, 6-2 Friday to advance to the semifinals at the Warsaw Open. Defending champion and second-seeded Tommy Robredo rallied to beat Oscar Hernandez 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in an all-Spanish quarterfinal match at the clay-court tournament. Italy's Fabio Fognini eliminated No. 5 Guillermo Canas of Argentina 7-5, 7-5, and third-seeded Juan Monaco of Argentina beat No. 7 Marcel Granollers of Spain, 6-4, 6
