Federer, Nadal One Match from Final at Indian Wells

Nadal punished Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 6-0, while Blake did likewise to Igor Andreev, Andy Roddick's tormentor earlier in the week, 6-1, 6-4.

"It was a good lesson for me to see how he plays and stuff," Baghdatis said. "He has a great forehand, great backhand. He has every shot. He's a great athlete. I mean, physically he's amazing. It was a good lesson for me today. I think I know what to work on now more... next time I play him I will have maybe a tactic to play against him."

The win for Blake means the American will debut in the Top 10 on the ATP Rankings come Monday.

"It is a significant number obviously, to say that I'm there is great," said the philosophical Blake. "Last year at this time, as much as now, I can maybe officially say I know what Top 10-level tennis is. I think I was playing Top 10-level tennis at the US Open, around that time. I can stay Top 10 and possibly not be playing Top 10-level of tennis. I don't want to do that."

Saturday's semifinals line up as Nadal vs. Blake, and world No. 1 Roger Federer vs. the unseeded Thai Paradorn Srichaphan.

Blake beat Nadal in their only previous meeting at last year's US Open, and Federer beat Srichaphan in their lone contest in 2004 at Bangkok in three sets.

In the doubles final the top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan will try and win a second consecutive Masters Series title when they face No. 3 seeds Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor.

The Bryans beat Knowles/Nestor in last year's MS-Paris final, with the Bahamian/Canadian pair reaching the finals of their last three Masters Series events.

"Everything is going our way at the moment," Mike Bryan said. "I think we're playing the best tennis of our careers and we're going to try to keep riding the wave. We made the final here in 2003 and it would be great to win the title this time around."