Monte Carlo, April 22:

Roger Federer erased one of the few minor blemishes on his spotless career record on Friday, reaching a semi-final at the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time.

The peerless Swiss top seed defeated Spain’s David Ferrer, 6-1, 6-3, beating the eighth-seed for the second time in a month after seeing him off in the Miami Masters semi-finals.

“I feel I’m playing a little bit better than last year, I have more security from the baseline,” said Federer. “I really have the feeling my game is in place very early in the clay.”

The world number one now stands 32-1 on the season with four titles after winning his 28th straight match at the Masters Series level. Federer will now play Chile’s 12th seed Fernando Gonzalez, who edged an injury-hit Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-5, 6-1. The Swiss holds a comfortable 5-0 career lead over Gonzalez, whom he has beaten three times on clay, including here last year in the third round.

Federer’s main rival, world number two defending champion Rafael Nadal, rolled over a struggling Guillermo Coria to advance, claiming 12 of the last 13 games to win 6-2, 6-1. “Today was the first good match for me,” said the winner of 11 titles in 2005. “I’m happy for that. It’s important for me play well, especially in the quarter-finals.”

Coria, far from his best and weighed down by a serve which has not worked all week, was treated by the trainer early in the second set. The Argentine, beaten in the final last year by French Open champion Nadal, had his blood pressure taken and took a tablet before returning to his fate on court.

The rout lasted 69 minutes, with Coria limiting his double-faults to eight, but committing 28 unforced errors. Nadal broke his opponent seven times.

“I felt poorly but after they told me it was normal, I felt a bit better,” said Coria, who blamed the three-hour matches he played in the two previous rounds for sapping his fitness. “Nadal is a beast on court, he hits such a heavy ball. Our first two games were very long ones and that took a lot out of me.”

Nadal will line up in semi-final against the Argentine who preceded him as Roland Garros champion, seventh-seeded Gaston Gaudio. Gaudio, the 27-year-old Argentine world number eight, put out Spain’s 15th seed Tommy Robredo in an equally one-sided encounter which finished 6-1, 6-3.