(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer stayed on course for an eagerly-awaited final clash at the Qatar Open by easing through last eight matches on Thursday.
Top seed Nadal saw off the potentially awkward challenge of fifth seed Ernests Gulbis 7-6 6-3, while world number two Roger Federer was back to his best with a 6-2 6-2 win over Serbia's Viktor Troicki.
Again, Troicki, who scored the vital point as Serbia beat France in the Davis Cup final, was expected to offer stiff opposition, but Federer stepped up a gear.
The 29-year-old Swiss maestro broke four times from no less than 16 break point opportunites against Troicki and raced to victory in just 65 minutes. CNN
