RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil -- Top-seeded Rafael Nadal reached the semifinals of the Rio Open, showing no problems with a sore back in defeating Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-0 on Friday. Harold Landry Womens Jersey . No. 1-ranked Nadal, in his first tournament since losing the Australian Open final, played his best match in Brazil and will face fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar in the semifinals. Andjuar ripped through Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-1, 6-1. In the other semifinal, second-seeded David Ferrer will meet unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov. Ferrer defeated Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Dolgopolov of Ukraine advanced against third-seeded Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-1. Ferrer has won 21 ATP singles title and will be the favourite to reach the final on Sunday against Nadal with 61 titles including 13 Grand Slams. "I think I have improved in everything," Nadal said. "I think I played a complete match. I had my best game of the tournament, and not just that but I played at a very high level. Really, I did things I wasnt able to do a few days ago. I moved better. I was more intense, more aggressive." Asked about the back, Nadal backed off. "Were not going to talk every day about the back," he said. "Im in the semifinals." Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the final in Melbourne, eventually losing to Stanislas Wawrinka in a match he was favoured to win. He took several weeks off and is using Rio to tune up for three months of clay-court play leading to the French Open. Ferrer and Bellucci had to wait for more than an hour with the Spaniard leading 2-1 in the third set when the lights went out at the outdoor stadium. "It was really tough," Ferrer said. "When the match was stopped it was practically in my hands. It was bad luck with what happened with the lights." Dolgopolov was asked if he planned to return to Ukraine, perhaps pulling out of the tournament to go to a country bordering on civil war. "I dont think its going to change a lot at this point if I just finished playing and come back to my country," said Dolgopolov, who lives in the wealthy European enclave of Monte Carlo. "Its still going to be the same situation. I will just be closer. But I am not considering that at this moment." In the combined ATP-WTA event, top-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic reached the semifinals, defeating Katarzyna Piter of Poland 6-4, 6-0. Zakopalova will face Brazilian Teliana Pereira, who defeated Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-4, 6-4. Pereira is a home favourite and the first Brazilian woman in 23 years to crack the WTA top 100. "She (Zakopalova) is the favourite, the top-seeded player," Pereira said. "I have to play like I did today and keep my good rhythm. But I have a lot of confidence and I will have the Brazilian fans behind me." Brazils most famous female player is still Maria Bueno, who won seven Grand Slam singles titles, the last in the 1966 US Open. Zakopalova will be looking for her third WTA singles title. None of the other semifinalists has won a WTA singles title. Japans Kurumi Nara also advanced. She won the first set 7-6 (5), and was leading the second 2-0 when Spains Lourdes Dominguez Lino withdrew with a left leg injury. She will face Nastassja Burnett of Italy, who defeated Paula Ormaechea of Argentina 5-7, 6-2, 7-5. Wholesale Titans Jerseys . - Mike Magee converted two penalty kicks in a 10-minute span of the first half and the Chicago Fire beat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Sunday. Black Friday Titans Jerseys . Berkman almost left the game last off-season before signing with the Texas Rangers. He then had another injury-plagued season and was limited to 73 games. http://www.cheaptitansjerseys.net/ . "There are a lot of things that are going very well in this organization. Im not coming in here to rip things apart," Nicholson told reporters Friday. "I know what Hockey Canada was when I started, and I know where this (Oilers) organization is today.STANFORD, Calif. -- Matt Besler and Geoff Cameron might hear it from every angle if they were paying any attention or had a moments spare time. They could be reminded every day that this is the first time since 1990 the U.S. heads to a World Cup with no central defenders having played previous minutes in soccers showcase event. And that makes an already daunting task in Group G much more challenging for the Americans, who face Ghana, Portugal and Germany next month in Brazil. The competition for spots on the Americans back line is fierce, leaving no time to analyze the groups inexperience. "For us, theres nothing we can do about it," Besler said before Sundays training at Stanford Stadium. "We cant change the fact that weve never experienced a World Cup. Were looking at it as a great opportunity. Weve never done it before but everyone is excited and really hungry to prove that we belong here and that we can do well." Nobody knows how the foursome will look for the teams World Cup opener June 16 against Ghana in Natal, yet coach Jurgen Klinsmann will get a glimpse during an exhibition against Azerbaijan on Tuesday night at Candlestick Park. He has several choices for each defensive spot. If there are concerns with Omar Gonzalez, who tweaked his left knee during a May 3 game with the Los Angeles Galaxy against Colorado, Klinsmann might go with Cameron in the middle alongside Besler. Gonzalez has since returned to full training. "I think the competition is healthy, and its definitely alive and well here," Gonzalez said. "Before I got injured, I was probably the fittest Ive been in a very long time." Cameron plays right back for Stoke in the Premier League but insists he only needs a couple of reps at centre back in practice, scrimmages or exhibitions to find a groove again. "When youre playing against Man United, Chelsea, Everton, Tottenham, youre playing all the big boys every single weekend against the best competition, theres no room for mental errors, theres no complaining about how tired you are or this or that because the games come so quick," Cameron said. "For me, it was a learning process the first year. As the second year comes, you get more comfortable, youre confident going into the other stadiums." Besler, the 27-year-old Sporting Kansas City star who was the 2012 MLS Defender of the Year, has played in the middle with both Cameron and Gonzalez. Cameron and Besler very well could start in the centre back spots for the opener. Fabian Johnson or Timmy Chandler might play right back, though Johnson said he has seen regular time there. "I played right back in all the scrimmages so Im ready for this position," Johnson said Sunday. DaMarcus Beasley could be on the left as he looks to become the first American to play in four World Cups. "It iis different playing with different guys. Cheap Titans Store. Everyone has different styles," Besler said. "I think as a team we play the same but when you have different guys back there you have to make little adjustments depending on whos back there. But for me I have experience with both. Ive played in World Cup qualifiers with Geoff, with Omar. I feel comfortable with anyone, really." If midfielder Jermaine Jones is suspended at some point for accumulation of yellow cards, Klinsmann might call upon Johnson in the defensive midfield. While experience on the defence would certainly be preferred at this stage, goalkeeper Tim Howard will help everyone get up to speed. "All things considered, of course youd like to have some guys back there who understand the rhythm and the pacing and the difference of a World Cup," said Alexi Lalas, a starting U.S. defender for the 1994 World Cup, former MLS general manager and current analyst. "This decision was made a long time ago, regardless of the final personnel, you knew you were going to have some World Cup inexperience out there. And we still dont know how the back four is going to look. "With that being decided and the veterans no longer being part of the scene, it was about getting some sort of understanding, communication and comfort with the defence. Thats really a much more important piece considering theres not going to be World Cup experience." Cameron is considered a central defender by Klinsmann. "Ive said that over three years I think his best position is centre back," Klinsmann said. "And its good to know he can play right back, too, and its good to know he can play a No. 6, too. Still I think his best fit, his best game for himself is the centre back role." Klinsmann isnt making a big deal about the teams lack of experience. Only five players among the 23 have appeared in a World Cup. "The plan is to help them in that process, to get in that World Cup with a lot of confidence and being sure that they know what theyre doing. In every training session we will work on those pieces and we will guide them through all the different things that happen during a game, preparing the best way possible for the opponents they face in the group stage already," Klinsmann said of the defence. "Im sure theyre going to be very well prepared and they will be ready for the task. Theres always a first time in life in whatever you do. Its for some the first World Cup, though its the first of hopefully many World Cups to come for them. Im not worried about the inexperience." NOTES: Landon Donovan, cut by Klinsmann on Thursday, broke the Major League Soccer goal record Sunday night. He returned to the LA Galaxy to score his 135th and 136th regular-season goals in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. 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