August 12, 2006	Saturday	Rajab 16, 1427

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TORONTO, Aug 11: Rafael Nadal was upset by Tomas Berdych and Roger Federer survived a scare in the Toronto Masters third round on Thursday, ending hopes of a dream final between the world's top two players.

Playing their first tournament since meeting in the Wimbledon final, both Federer and Nadal displayed signs of rust from their month-long breaks.

In Nadal's case the layoff proved lethal, the Spaniard unable to find any rhythm in a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 loss to Czech Tomas Berdych, only his sixth defeat of the season.

Federer, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Tuesday, looked ready to move back into top gear with routine wins in the opening two rounds but was less impressive in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 victory over Russia's Dimtry Tursunov to reach the quarter-finals.

The world's two top-ranked players, Federer and Nadal have met in five finals this year and had appeared headed for another showdown on Sunday.

While Nadal had also advanced to the third round with minimum fuss, there were signs of rust all over his game which Berdych exploited to the full.

The match was a contrast of styles and physiques, the muscular Spaniard taking on the lanky 14th-ranked Czech in a tense center court battle that lasted one hour, 48 minutes.

The Czech completed the upset in style, breaking Nadal a second time to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Earlier, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez booked his place in the quarter-finals, outlasting fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 in a three-hour center court marathon. Britain's Andy Murray continued his excellent run, easing past former French Open champion Carlos Moya of Spain 6-2, 6-4.

Murray, the 19-year-old Briton, will play Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, who advanced with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 win over Italy's Davide Sanguinetti.

Young Gasquet, who upset fifth-seeded American James Blake in the second round, advanced with a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win over Spain's Fernando Verdasco. Argentine Jose Acasuso dispatched France's Julien Benneteau 6-3, 7-6.

Thursday’s results:

Third round: 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-3, 5-7, 6-0; 14-Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (12-10); 13-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat 2-Rafael Nadal (Spain) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 7-6 (9-7), 6-3; Andy Murray (Britain) beat Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-2, 6-4; Richard Gasquet (France) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2; 15-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat 4-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3); Jose Acasuso (Argentina) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

SHARAPOVA EASES AHEAD

LOS ANGELES: Serena Williams had to battle from a set down in the third round to join top seed Maria Sharapova in the Los Angeles Open quarter-finals on Thursday.

Playing her second tournament in seven months because of a knee injury, Williams overcame Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a match littered with rasping winners and unforced errors.

Sharapova, however, made short work of Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli with a 6-1, 6-2 demolition to complete her seventh victory in a row.

The 19-year-old Russian, who claimed her second title of the year at the Acura Classic on Sunday, was hardly troubled as she set up a meeting with compatriot Dinara Safina in the last eight.

Safina, the fifth seed, beat American Laura Granville 6-2, 7-6 in an earlier third-round match.

Seventh-seeded Hantuchova took full advantage of an erratic Williams to breeze through the opening set before the twice champion raised her game.

In other matches, third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva beat Israel's Shahar Peer 7-5, 6-3, American wildcard Bethanie Mattek eased past Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-1, 6-1 and Serbian 10th seed Ana Ivanovic upset German sixth seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-1, 6-4.

Results:

Third round: Serena Williams (US) beat 7-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; 10-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat 6-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 6- 1, 6-4; Meghann Shaughnessy (US) beat Virginia Ruano (Spain) 6-3, 6-3; 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 15-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-1, 6-2; 16-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia & Montenegro) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-4, 6-1; 3-Elena Dementieva (Russia) beat 14-Shahar Peer (Israel) 7-5, 6-3; 5-Dinara Safina (Russia) beat Laura Granville (US) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2); Bethanie Mattek (US) beat Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-1, 6-1.—Reuters