PARIS: Second seed Rafael Nadal set up a Paris Masters semi-final clash with third seed Novak Djokovic on Friday by defeating title-holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-5, 7-5.

Djokovic had earlier defeated Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the first of the day's quarter-finals to reach the last four in Paris for the first time.

The losses for Tsonga and Soderling meant that Spain's Fernando Verdasco was assured of the eighth and final spot in the November 22-29 ATP Tour Finals in London.

The other players qualified for that are Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Andy Roddick and Nikolay Davydenko.