Preview and Picks for the Madrid semifinals.

Womens Semifinals:

(unseeded) Lucie Safarova  vs.  (unseeded) Aravane Rezai

Both of these ladies are Cinderella stories, neither was suppose to make it this far.  Safarova has wins over Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova, while Rezai has knocked off Justine Henin and Jelena Jankovic.  Rezai must be playing well to beat two high ranked players who are actually playing well.  Based on that factor I have to lean towards Aravane in this match.

Pick-  Rezai

RESULT:  Aravane Rezai 6-1, 0-0 (retired)

(#4 seed) Venus Williams  vs.  (unseeded) Shahar Peer

Shahar Peer is so hard to predict.  One day she can look great and beat a top 5 player, and the very next she can look like total garbage and lose to almost anyone...Clay isn't the best surface for Venus, but she has been playing pretty good this week in Madrid.  Whenever you beat players like Zvonareva, Schiavone, and Stosur in a tournament you are playing well.  Venus will be too much for Peer, and should win in straight sets.

Pick- Williams

RESULT:  Venus Williams 6-3, 6-0

Mens Semifinals:

(#1 seed) Roger Federer  vs.  (#9 seed) David Ferrer

Daveeeeeed Ferrer has been on fire the past couple months.  He leads the ATP tour in wins this season, and is currently the best player on clay not named Rafael Nadal... Roger Federer on the other hand hasn't been playing up to form and this looks like it could be a upset win for Ferrer.  Well when you look at the head-to-head matchup between these two Ferrer has NEVER beaten Roger Federer.  And most of Federer's wins have been easy lopsided victories.  So you have a player who is in top form and is on top of his game playing the #1 player in the world who isn't playing up to his potential at the moment, yet has beaten the underdog handily every time they have ever played... hmmm how about this, If Rafael Nadal wins his match, look for Federer to pretty much mail this one in.  I'm taking Ferrer in this one.  If he is to ever beat Federer this is his best chance probably.

Pick- Ferrer

RESULT:  Roger Federer 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

(unseeded) Nicolas Almagro  vs.  (#2 seed) Rafael Nadal

Almagro has been playing excellent tennis this week, beating Robin Soderling, Juan Monaco, and Jurgen Melzer, all good players quite easily.  Unfortunately for him his next opponent is a "buzzsaw" named Rafael Nadal.  The only chance Almagro has of winning this match is if Nadal gets a freak injury and has to retire.  Other than than Nadal marches on to Sunday's final.

Pick- Nadal

RESULT:  Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.