David Ferrer continued his defence of the Paris Masters title this evening with a hard-fought 4-6 7-5 6-3 win over Tomas Berdych.
Ferrer started slowly and Berdych took full advantage to record an early break before holding his serve for the remainder of the opening set.
The number three seed improved as the match went on, however, and edged past Berdych in the second set with two breaks before another in the third allowed him to set up an all-Spanish semi-final clash with Rafael Nadal.
You can read how the match unfolded with Sports Mole's live coverage below.
Good evening tennis fans! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for the fourth and final quarter-final of the day as David Ferrer and Tomas Berdych battle it out for the one remaining spot in the last four of the Paris Masters.
We have already seen the old power trio of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic advance to the semis, and one of these two will join them tonight. Ferrer goes into the match as favourite having won the title last season and climbed to third in the world, but it will not be a straightforward match for him.
Ferrer faces a giant in Berdych this evening, but the diminutive Spaniard won't be intimidated by that. One of his finest career moments to date was when he beat surprise package Jerzy Janowicz in the final of this tournament last year. He is now looking to become the first man to successfully defended the title.
Berdych has also experienced success here having won the title back in 2005, very early in his career. He hasn't been able to reach such heights here since, but a win tonight would throw his hat in the ring and give him plenty of confidence going into what will be a very hard semi-final against an in-form Rafael Nadal.
Both players have already qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals in London, with Berdych securing his spot back in September. Ferrer has had a good season so far, as demonstrated by his third spot in the world rankings, but he has only beaten one of the top eight this season. Can he finally put to bed claims that he can't beat the best?
The Spaniard does edge the head to head record between these two players, winning six of their nine meetings. The last time that Berdych beat Ferrer was two years ago in the 2011 Tour Finals.
PREDICTION: This is a tougher one to predict than the last quarter-final, with both players realistically being able to win. Ferrer is a workhorse and that would be the key to any win for him this evening, while Berdych is more likely to rely on his big-hitting. It is a close one, but I think I'm going to edge on Berdych's side. I think the Czech will win in three sets, but it will be a close one.
This match may not contain any of the normal huge names of tennis, with Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray absent, but it may well be the most intriguing quarter-final of the lot. This one really could go either way, and it should be an entertaining match.
Right, we're ready to go now, and it will be Ferrer to serve.
BREAK! Not a good start from Ferrer as he misses a number of shots that he would usually expect to make. A string of unforced errors gives Berdych three break points, but then the Spaniard hits back to get one of them back. It is a disappointing finish to the game, however, as Ferrer gifts the break to the Czech with a double fault.
Ferrer is struggling to get into this one at the moment. Berdych isn't exactly playing stunning shots here, but he is finding things far too comfortable as he moves into an early 2-0 lead. Ferrer needs to get his eye in quickly.
The Spaniard is just not finding his first serve at the moment, and that is allowing Berdych to get on top early in the games with his big hitting. Despite that, Ferrer does start to find a little bit of a rhythm towards the end of the game and gets himself on the scoreboard.
Ferrer looks to have played his best shot of the day so far, but Berdych responds with a brilliant return that forces the Spaniard to hit his next shot long. The Czech makes little fuss of the rest of the game, winning it to love to maintain his lead.
More top tennis as Berdych flicks a forehand that forces Ferrer far out wide, but the Spaniard is the man to come up with a stunning riposte this time. His shot is initially called out, but that decision is overturned after a challenge. Another double fault brings Berdych back into the game, but the Czech follows it up with a few unforced errors as Ferrer holds serve once again.
Ferrer is having to work hard here, but he is certainly playing better now than he was at the start of the match. He gets Berdych running around the court, which takes away the big man's main strength. There is not much he can do against a pair of aces that take Berdych to deuce, before the Czech comes to the net on successive points, winning one and losing another. The sixth seed then misses a clear chance to win the game having come to the net again before hitting an ace and hitting the net to return to another deuce. A rare touch of delicacy in the form of a lovely drop shot takes Berdych back to advantage, but Ferrer will not give up and hammers a winner down the line in response. Berdych does finally clinch the game, but that was the longest game of the match so far by some distance.
That was a rather more straightforward game as Ferrer hits a few winners to hold serve again. The Spaniard is looking more like himself now and, despite still being one break down, you can sense the momentum starting to swing in his favour.
Ferrer's return from the opening serve of the game goes long before Berdych smashes a huge ace into the corner that he could do nothing about. The Spaniard responds in style, however, with a fine winner down the line, but Berdych's serve is just too powerful and he sees the game out with back-to-back aces. Berdych is now receiving for the set.
Ferrer opens proceeding with an ace of his own before a long shot from Berdych and a failed return gives the Spaniard three game points. He hits long on the first but Berdych is unable to return the serve on the second as Ferrer stays alive in this first set. His first serve has certainly improved throughout this set, and it is now a weapon rather than a liability.
SET! Some of Berdych's serves have been unstoppable today, and he opens the set with two such shots to take control. A long shot from Ferrer hands the Czech three set points, and he clinches the opener at the second time of asking with another big serve.
Ferrer really paid for his slow start there. He took a while to get going and was probably just about on top once he found his rhythm, but you can't afford to gift service games away against someone like Berdych. The big man has been relentless on his own serve so far, particularly towards the latter stages of that half.
This is by no means over, however. Ferrer will fancy his chances of winning the next set having settled into the match, but he simply can't start the second as slowly as he did the first. He will kick us off by serving now as he looks to stay in the tournament.
An ace with the first shot of the set suggests that Ferrer won't make a similarly slow start, but then he hits one halfway up the net. Berdych narrowly misses a cross-court shot on the next point, and Ferrer goes on to see the game out with minimum fuss.
BREAK! Berdych begins the game with a wayward shot that goes far too long despite him having a lot of the court to aim at. Ferrer then hits him with a vicious winner down the line that Berdych can do nothing about, before another unforced error from the Czech gives Ferrer three break points. He only needs the one, however, as Berdych once again hits a shot long to gift Ferrer an early break. The tide has certainly turned in this match!
What a difference this is to the opening of the first set. Ferrer has come out flying in this second set and opens the third game with a shot that Berdych can simply do nothing about. The Czech man bounces back with successive points, however, and eventually gets a break point which he can't take. Deuce provides the best point of the match so far as a 25-shot rally ends with Ferrer hitting it long, but once again Berdych can't make the most of his break point, allowing Ferrer to battle back and win a very important game.
That is a good response from Berdych as he wins the first two points with some big serves before coming to the net to make it 40-15 having over-hit his previous shot. He is left rooted to the spot by a Ferrer backhand moments later, but then finishes the game off with another huge ace. He is on the board in this second set.
Luck is on Ferrer's side in the opening point as his shot hits the tape and bounces the right side of the net, out of the considerable reach of Berdych. The fickle net becomes the Spaniard's enemy on the next point, however, and then Berdych shows good footwork to come in and finish a good rally off with a controlled volley. Ferrer is not to be denied, however, and he wins the next two points to take the game and edge ever closer to levelling the scores in terms of sets.
Berdych shows a glimpse of perhaps the biggest weakness in his game as he struggles to adjust his feet in time to deal with a cross-court shot from Ferrer, but moments later he shows good pace for a man of his size to reach a short shot and fire it past Ferrer for a winner. He then hits a double fault but is still able to seal the game with a smash that Ferrer could do nothing about.
BREAK! Berdych opens the game in style with a superb winner down the line, probably the best shot of the match. He then follows that up with another winner, this time beating Ferrer through the sheer power of his forehand. It is more of the same on the next point as he moves to 0-40 before moving on to seal a valuable break. That gets him right back into this second set, and it could be a turning point in this match.
Ferrer reacted angrily to that previous break of serve, smashing the ball into the crowd to a ripple of boos. He comes out in this game eager to respond and makes a good start by winning the first point, but then Berdych hits three huge serves that he simply can't do anything about to regain control of the game. Ferrer eventually gifts the game to Berdych by hitting a weak shot into the net, losing his second-set advantage in the process.
That is the way to respond to momentum swinging in your opponent's favour. Ferrer holds his serve fairly comfortably, and that may well have been the most important set in the match so far for the Spaniard. He looked to be getting a little anxious in the last couple, so to hold his serve with ease there will do wonders for him. Berdych is now serving to stay in the set.
Frustration is beginning to creep in for both players as they react to unforced errors with moans and screams of anguish. There can be no moaning about Berdych's shot to take him to game point, however, as he finds the corner of the court to such an extent that not even Ferrer can get there. He then finishes it off to take the second set to 5-5.
You can really tell that this one is getting tense by the reactions of both players now, Berdych screams after two consecutive unforced errors and Ferrer has a face like thunder shortly afterwards having planted a shot into the net. Amid the errors, though, there is a fine rally that Ferrer eventually wins with a powerful forehand down the line. Berdych responds with an effortlessly powerful return down the line to keep himself in the game, but it is only a temporary reprieve as Ferrer hits another inch-perfect winner to move within one game of winning the set.
BREAK, SET! Ferrer claws his way back into the match with a vital break of serve to secure the second set. The final shot saw Berdych slice it just wide and, after a challenge, the original verdict was upheld. We will go the distance here!
That showed great mental strength from Ferrer. He began the set really well but Berdych fought his way back into it with some good play. It appeared that Ferrer was crumbling at one point, but he is never going to be one to give up and he once again picked himself up to claim the set. He will have the momentum at the start of the third and final set now.
That is a really good start to the set for Ferrer as he hits back-to-back one-two punches before Berdych was unable to return his serve. An ace follows after a challenge to hand Ferrer a quickfire win in the opening service game - he couldn't have wished for a better start to this final set.
Another bright start to the set from Ferrer is brought to a halt by another big Berdych ace, and that hands him the impetus to go on and win a game that, at one point, he looked in danger of losing. Good reaction from the big man, who came up with good serves when he needed them.
Berdych squanders two opportunities to take control of the game, but he keeps in touch after an unforced error from Ferrer. He then has a stroke of luck as a shot hits the top of the net and drops too short for Ferrer to reach, prompting a frustrated outburst from the Spaniard. He responds in typically industrious fashion to save break point, however, and goes on to win the game via deuce.
BREAK! Advantage Ferrer now as he breaks Berdych with a love game, completing the break by sending Berdych the wrong way with a deep winner down the line. The Spaniard now just needs to hold serve for the remainder of the match and he will be in the last four.
A weak double fault from Ferrer doesn't give him the best start to the game, and a lost challenge then hands Berdych temporary control of it. The Czech player hits next shot long, however, and is then unable to deal with Ferrer's relentless returning as the Spaniard holds serve.
It is becoming up to Berdych to hit winners now as Ferrer has made just three unforced errors in this third set so far. Berdych has made 11, but he is still able to grind out a win in the latest game, thanks largely to his big serving once again.
Ferrer almost makes a mess of a simple winner in the opening point, but just squeezes the ball in with pretty much the whole court to aim at. The number three seed makes short work of the rest of the game, winning it to love, and he is now one game away from the semi-final. Berdych will serve to stay in the match now.
Berdych extends his stay in this match by at least one more game as Ferrer once again struggles to deal with his big serves. The Czech man now must break Ferrer is he wants to stay in this. The Spaniard is serving for the match and a spot in the semi-finals.
GAME, SET, MATCH! There is the win for Ferrer as he books his spot in the last four with a hard-fought win. Berdych loses two consecutive challenges by no more than a couple of millimetres, but he fights his way back to 30-30 before making an error to hand Ferrer match point. The Spaniard hits it long to bring up deuce, but he soon has a second match point and Berdych over-hits a return to hand Ferrer the victory.
That is a really hard-fought victory from Ferrer, but would you expect anything less from the world number three? He started very slowly but fought back a couple of times during the match and Berdych eventually just didn't have an answer for Ferrer's work rate. Berdych will now go on to London to the ATP World Tour Finals, while Ferrer continues his defence of this title in the last four.
This was our fourth and final quarter-final of the day, which means that we now have the semi-final lineup for these Paris Masters. It was confirmed earlier that Novak Djokovic will face Roger Federer in the first of the semis, and Ferrer's reward to battling past Berdych is a showdown with compatriot Rafael Nadal.
Looking forward to that Ferrer vs. Nadal match, it is obvious that Ferrer will have to play better than he did today if he is to spring a shock against the world number one. He did play some very good tennis at times, but the form Nadal is in he needs to be at the very top of his game throughout the match. He certainly can't afford to start as slowly as he did tonight.
Right, that's it from us today! Thank you for joining Sports Mole for this match and the previous three quarter-finals today. Stick around for our match report, which will be up shortly, and also check back in for the semis and plenty more live sport tomorrow. Until then, though, it is goodbye!
