Defending champion Roger Federer was dumped out of the Madrid Masters on Thursday by world number 14 Kei Nishikori as the Japanese came through 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in their third round clash. Second seed Federer, who had just returned to the tour after a two-month break, joins world number one Novak Djokovic in being eliminated early in the Spanish capital and his lack of match practice showed. One break was enough for Nishikori to take the opening set 6-4, but Federer roared back in the second to take it 6-1.

Madrid, May 7 (EFE).- Defending champion Roger Federer of Switzerland won his opening match Tuesday at the Mutua Madrid Open 6-3, 6-3 over Czech Radek Stepanek. The 31-year-old Federer, who won the title in Madrid in 2006, 2009 and 2012, took his eighth straight match against Stepanek and pushed his career record against the Czech to 12-2. Federer had not played since March 15, when Spain's Rafael Nadal beat him 6-4, 6-2 in the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California.

Rafael Nadal took another step in his return from injury with a convincing victory over a hurting Roger Federer on Thursday in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters. Nadal broke Federer three times in the second set en route to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the 17-time Grand Slam champion, who has been nursing a nagging back injury. "I don't think Roger was 100 percent tonight," said Nadal, who nevertheless said the win over his great rival was a key step in his comeback from a seven-month absence while rehabilitating his damaged left knee.

Roger Federer, vanquished by Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, isn't surprised by the Spaniard's speedy return to form after a seven-month injury absence. "He's not going to come back if he's not well," Federer said Thursday after falling 6-4, 6-2 to Nadal. "He's not going to come back half-broken. "I expected him to tear through the clay. I expected him to be tough here, which he shows to be," Federer said.