Battling Ward can benefit as Nadal is forced out

Ward joined Andy Murray in the last four, and given they are on opposite sides of the draw that set up the possibility of an all-British final.

That would be remarkable, given Ward stands at 216th in the world rankings, but he added to his impressive list of victims this week by beating Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in three thrilling sets, 6-2 6-7 (14/16) 6-4.

Nadal was surprisingly ousted by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, as the Spaniard took the opening set 7-3 on a tie-break but crumbled after Tsonga levelled the match.

Tsonga won 6-7 6-4 6-1 and awaits 24-year-old Ward today.

Ward recovered superbly from the blow of letting seven match points slip away in the second set against Mannarino, and then falling a break behind in the decider.

After sealing his victory the only disappointment for Ward was in learning that Nadal had lost, denying him the chance to face the world No 1 and reigning Wimbledon, US Open and French Open champion.

The closing games of Ward’s match were watched by Prime Minister David Cameron, who had hot-footed it to Court One from Centre Court after witnessing Nadal’s exit.

Ward, who at lunchtime had completed a three-set win over defending champion Sam Querrey, led Mannarino by a set and a break and looked set for an impressively straightforward victory against the world No 54.

The semi-finals were within sight for the player who recently enlisted a cage fighter to train him, but Mannarino hit back and won three games in a row to force Ward to serve at 6-5 behind to stay in the set.

He survived a deuce to force the tie-break, but then spurned the flurry of match points which came his way.

And when the set went to Mannarino, it was easy to envisage him sprinting away with the third, more so when he broke and led 2-0.

But Ward was not remotely finished, and he stepped up his performance to level and then move a break ahead.

And he let out a roar of delight as, at the eighth attempt, he made the most of a match point.

“You’re not going to give up at this point of the tournament,” Ward said.

“I played a poor game at the beginning of the third but I knew I’d get my chances.

“It’s a shame I’m not playing Rafael Nadal, but it’s not exactly a bonus draw playing Tsonga.”

Ward is enjoying the best week of his career and will hope to carry this form into Wimbledon.

Murray did not have to hit a ball in his quarter-final, after Croatian Marin Cilic withdrew before the match with an ankle injury.

The British No 1 will now meet four-time Queen’s champion Andy Roddick in the last four.

American Roddick beat Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-2 6-2.

Murray said: “I would have rather played (yesterday), and got another match on the grass.

“It wasn’t to be. I just have to take this day as a rest day, which in some ways is probably a good thing.

“I was warming up indoors and he came and hit on the court next to me for two minutes, and then he came over and just said, ‘I’m not going to be able to play’.”

The threat posed by Roddick in the semi-finals is one Murray is all too conscious of, having lost to the American in the Wimbledon semi-finals two years ago.

Murray said: “Obviously it’s a tough match. He plays very well on grass. It’s his best surface, I think.

“I have to play well to win against him. He obviously serves very well, so it will be important for me to serve well myself and not give him too many opportunities.”

Elena Baltacha secured her place in the semi-finals of the AEGON Nottingham Challenge with a straight-sets win over world No 41 Lucie Hradecka.

The British No 1 sits 33 places lower than her Czech opponent in the rankings, but looked at ease on her way to a 6-1 6-3 victory.

Baltacha, who will play either Stephanie Dubois or Evgeniya Rodina in today’s semi-final, said: “I’m unbelievably chuffed with that win.

“I served really well and even though she has a really good serve on grass I picked it and hit some great returns.

“This is really good preparation for Eastbourne and Wimbledon and it’s a positive sign that I’m playing well against better players because I’m going to need to do that at those bigger tournaments.”

Ana Ivanovic progressed to the last four of the AEGON Classic in Birmingham by beating Mirjana Lucic yesterday. The second-seeded Serbian was rarely troubled as she claimed a 6-3 6-3 victory over her Croatian opponent.

Ivanovic will face Daniela Hantuchova in tomorrow’s semi-finals. Slovakian Hantuchova, seeded fourth in Birmingham, was another convincing winner in her last-eight encounter, overcoming Alison Riske 6-2 6-4.

Third seed Shuai Peng will take on Sabine Lisicki in the other semi-final. Peng of China ground out a 6-4 4-6 6-3 win over Marina Erakovic while German Lisicki was a 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 victor against Magdalena Rybarikova.