TENNIS:Rafael Nadal was tested for the first time this week as he beat the Italian Potito Starace 6-2 7-5 yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open and extend his record claycourt winning streak to 70 matches.

The top seed was below his best and was pushed hard by the Italian world number 72 before coming through to set up a clash with fifth seed and fellow Spaniard David Ferrer, who ousted the Argentinian fourth seed, David Nalbandian, 7-6 6-2.

Nadal is bidding to become only the second man, after Swede Mats Wilander, to win the tournament in three successive years.

Argentine 12th seed Guillermo Canas received a walkover into the semi-finals when his opponent, the Russian second seed, Nikolay Davydenko, withdrew before their match with a wrist injury.

Canas will play his Argentinian compatriot Agustin Calleri, who crushed the unseeded Spaniard Oscar Hernandez 6-0 6-3.