Surprising Spaniard reaches semifinals

While clay is still his specialty, Rafael Nadal has gotten better on grass.
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Rafael Nadal holds three balls in his right hand, studies them, discards one, pockets another and begins bouncing the third. He pauses to wipe his racket hand, brushes his hair and dribbles the ball some more. He rubs his cheek, tugs at his shorts, dribbles again and finally serves.
Often the point ends right there.
A women's match could be played in the time Nadal takes between points, but with a surprisingly potent serve, he's ahead of schedule at Wimbledon.
The methodical king of clay made the semifinals for the first time Thursday, beating Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
"It's a surprise to be in the semifinals, no?" Nadal said. "It's an unbelievable tournament for me."
The Spaniard joined two other improbable semifinalists, unseeded Swede Jonas Bjorkman and Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. Nadal will play Baghdatis today, and Bjorkman will face three-time defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland.
It's the first all-European men's final four at Wimbledon in 16 years.
Embracing the challenge
Unlike many players raised on clay, Nadal embraced the challenge of adapting to grass but predicted he would need several years to become a title contender at Wimbledon. Instead, he has quickly found his footing on the lawns of the All England Club.
Only 20 and already a two-time French Open champion, he's trying to become the second Spanish man to win Wimbledon. He would join 1966 champion Manolo Santana, who offered Nadal encouragement in the locker room before the quarterfinals.
"He always gives me good luck," Nadal said. "He gives me, 'C'mon, Rafita.' "
Bjorkman, 34, is the oldest men's semifinalist at Wimbledon since Jimmy Connors in 1987. Baghdatis, emerging from a slump that began after his surprising run to the Australian Open final, remains the lone Cypriot to play in a major event.
And then there's the top-ranked Federer, who has won an Open-era record 46 consecutive grass-court matches and 26 in a row at the All England Club.
"For sure the king is Roger," Nadal said. "On grass."
Closing the gap
Federer's nemesis may be gaining on him. Since losing the first two sets against qualifier Robert Kendrick in the second round, Nadal has won 12 consecutive sets.
And while the left-hander lacks the powerful serve and attacking approach of Federer and others who fare well on grass, he hasn't been broken in the past three rounds while facing only two break points.
"He's playing really well on grass," Nieminen said. "It's really surprising."
Nadal has benefited from a favorable draw, including his pairing with Nieminen, who fell to 0-17 against top-five players. But Nadal earned a memorable win in the third round against eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi, playing at Wimbledon for the last time.
Agassi never reached deuce on Nadal's serve.
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