Spanish tennis star and world number 5, Rafael Nadal, advanced to the semi-finals of the Argentina Open on Friday, beating Italy's Paolo Lorenzi, 7-6(3), 6-2.

Without showing his best game, the former world number 1 showed his dominance in the first set tiebreak to beat an on-form Lorenzi, who made matters difficult.

In the second set, Nadal turned on the pressure and, after breaking the Italian in the third game, took the set and match, in broiling conditions where the mercury topped 40 degrees Celsius.

"The conditions were extreme and cost me a bit today. My stomach is in a little bit of pain," said Nadal after the match, while thanking the Argentinean crowd for their support.

Tomorrow, in order to contest a place in the final, Nadal will face Australia's Dominic Thiem, who saw off Serbia's Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-finals. Enditem

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