Rafael Nadal will retain the world number one spot for the French Open after reaching the semi-finals of the Rome Masters with a 6-1 6-3 win over Marin Cilic.
The Spaniard had been suffering with a fever earlier this week but looked in much better shape as he broke serve in the second and fourth games on his way to claiming the opening set in just 38 minutes.
Two further breaks of serve followed in the second set as Croatian Cilic was simply overwhelmed.
"I feel much better," Nadal, a five-time champion at the tournament, said on the ATP website.
"I think I started the match with a greater intensity and so I was able to move faster and to play more aggressive with the legs and if I play more aggressive with the legs then the shots are automatically more aggressive."
He will face Richard Gasquet in the last four after the Frenchman came from a set down to beat seventh seed Tomas Berdych 4-6 6-2 6-4.
Gasquet, 24, had knocked Roger Federer out in the previous round and responded well to losing the first set by securing two breaks to hit back in the second.
He missed an early chance to break again in the decider but was more decisive in the seventh game to set up the win.
Andy Murray battled from a set down to beat Florian Mayer and become the first Briton to make the semi-finals in Rome in the open era.
Murray was brushed aside by his German opponent in the opening set but gradually found a foothold before upping his game to secure a 1-6 6-1 6-1 triumph.
Murray will now meet world number two Novak Djokovic, who powered past him in the Australian Open final, after the Serbian racked up his 37th straight victory with a powerful 6-3 6-0 win over Robin Soderling.
Soderling battled gamely in the opener but Djokovic claimed two crucial breaks to take it, and he then steamrollered his opponent in the second, converting three of five break-point opportunities.
In the women's draw top seed Caroline Wozniacki edged out Jelena Jankovic 6-3 1-6 6-3 to reach the last four.
The deciding set astonishingly started with seven consecutive breaks, and it was the Dane's ability to hold her serve to go 5-3 up that ultimately proved critical.
Wozniacki will now face Maria Sharapova after Victoria Azarenka was forced to retire hurt while leading 6-4 0-3 in their last-eight tussle.
The other semi sees Li Na, a comfortable 6-3 6-1 winner over Greta Arn, face last year's French Open finalist Sam Stosur.
The Australian saw off Roland Garros champion Francesca Schiavone 6-2 6-4.
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