Rafael Nadal marches into Miami Open semis to keep hopes of Roger Federer final alive

Nadal staved off four break points to avoid going down a double-break early in the second set, a pivotal game that set the stage for his 6-2 6-3 victory on the Crandon Park hardcourt.

The Spaniard's poise and shotmaking came to the fore when 13th seed Sock threatened to take a stranglehold on the second set - and Nadal now moves a step closer to claiming his first Miami Open title.

“That was the key of the second set, two-love (down), 15-40,” Nadal said in a courtside interview. “With three-zero a player like Jack, you’ll probably be thinking third set.

“It was a double positive thing. I saved that game and got the break back (in the next game). The match was much closer than the result says.”

Nadal could face his long-time nemesis Federer in the final, with the Swiss, who beat Tomas Berdych in Thursday's quarter-final, on the other side of the draw.

But first the 14-time Grand Slam champion must play the unseeded Fabio Fognini, who dispatched second seed Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-2.

Federer and Nadal have met twice this year, with Federer winning both times, in a memorable five-set final at the Australian Open and in a one-sided straight-sets fourth-round thumping at Indian Wells two weeks ago.

But Nadal is not looking ahead to Federer, because his semi-final opponent Fognini presents a potential banana skin. Nadal has a 7-3 career record but is mindful he lost to the Italian in a five-set thriller on the U.S. Open hardcourt in 2015.

"It’s like a dream maybe,” said the 29-year-old Fognini after becoming the first unseeded player in 10 years to make the Miami semis.

“This is a big, big tournament for me. I’m happy about my performance. I’m just trying to be focused on my game and do my best.”