INDIAN WELLS (California), March 22: Men’s world No 1 tennis player Roger Federer reached the last four of the Pacific Life Open without hitting a shot on Friday when his quarter-final opponent Tommy Haas pulled out with a sinus infection.

Swiss Federer, the three-time champion at Indian Wells and seeking his first ATP title of the year, will next meet unseeded American Mardy Fish, who scraped past seventh-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina 6-3, 6-7, 7-6.

Fish, who upset fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the third round, squandered two match points in the 10th game of a protracted third set against Nalbandian before sealing victory in two hours, 45 minutes.

Saturday’s other semi-final will be between holder Rafael Nadal, seeded second, and third-seeded Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

On Thursday, Nadal held his nerve to reach the last four at the Pacific Life Open by beating American James Blake for the first time 7-5, 3-6 6-3.

World No 2 Nadal, who beat Blake for the first time in four career meetings, next meets Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic after he beat Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka 7-6, 6-2 earlier in the day.

On the women’s side, Maria Sharapova’s perfect start to the year came to a shuddering halt when she lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals on Friday.

Australian Open champion Sharapova, who had won her first 18 matches of the season, was outplayed when it counted by the second seed in a fluctuating match lasting two hours, 19 minutes.

Kuznetsova will face top-seeded Ana Ivanovic in Sunday’s final, the Serb having beaten compatriot Jelena Jankovic 7-6, 6-3 later on Friday in one hour, 25 minutes.

On Thursday, Jankovic reached the last four when American Lindsay Davenport retired from their quarter-final because of a back injury.

The 31-year-old Davenport, twice former champion at Indian Wells, summoned her trainer when trailing Serb Jankovic 4-1 before deciding to withdraw after losing the first set 6-2.

Ivanovic booked her place in the last four by brushing aside Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-1, 6-4 earlier in the day.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Played on Friday:

Quarter-finals: Mardy Fish (US) bt 7-David Nalbandian (Argentina) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-4); 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Tommy Haas (Germany) – walkover.

Played on Thursday:

Quarter-finals: 2-Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt 9-James Blake (US) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; 3-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Women’s singles:

Played on Friday:

Semi-finals: 1-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) bt 3-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; 2-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt 4-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2

Played on Thursday:

Quarter-finals: Jankovic bt 24-Lindsay Davenport (US) 6-2 – Davenport retired; Ivanovic bt 12-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-1, 6-4.—Reuters