The Madrid Open remains on course for a dream all-Spanish final after David Ferrer moved into the last four with a straight-sets win over Ernests Gulbis tonight.

A tightly-contested first set went to a tie-break which was won by the fifth seed, who raised his game in the second to overcome the battling Latvian.

World number one and Spanish compatriot Rafael Nadal, who is the reigning champion, is already into the semi-finals on the opposite side of the draw, having beaten Tomas Berdych.

Ferrer followed him there by taking three points of the Gulbis serve in the breaker, having previously wasted the two break points that he forced in a first set that went with serve until 6-6.

The home favourite, who has never reached the final of this tournament, blinked first in the second as Gulbis broke in the fifth game, but Ferrer responded with consecutive breaks of his own.

That gave him control of the set at 5-3, and the 32-year-old would go on to serve out for the match at the third attempt, to complete a 7-6(3) 6-3 victory in one hour and 42 minutes.