(Reuters) - Former world number one Rafa Nadal displayed more signs of a return to top form with a ruthless 6-2 6-1 hammering of Stan Wawrinka to reach the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters on Friday.
The Spaniard, a winner of 14 grand slam titles, suffered a second-round defeat to Dustin Brown at Wimbledon and was ousted in the third round at the U.S. Open by Fabio Fognini in a woeful campaign but has enjoyed a resurgence since arriving in China.
The 29-year-old, seeded eighth in Shanghai, reached the final in Beijing last week and needed a little more than an hour to breeze past French Open champion Wawrinka, who toiled for close to three hours late on Thursday to get past Marin Cilic.