In a battle of two left-handers with huge forehands, Verdasco had nothing in his game to trouble Nadal and also struggled with a thigh problem.

The three-time champion wrapped up victory in one hour 54 minutes.

"I wish all my matches were like this one," Nadal said. "Here we don't want to have mercy for anybody."

Nadal said of his quarter-final opponent Almagro: "He is a very good player. He has a beautiful serve, a very powerful serve. So I'll have to try and impose my rhythm, not let him take the initiative and make him run.

"It is probably going to be my toughest match this week."