The other semi-final will be an intriguing encounter between two rising talents, with temperamental but talented Nick Kyrgios playing starlet Alexander Zverev of Germany. Nadal, 31, the 16-time Grand Slam champion, revved up a gear against Isner to surge through the second-set tie break, although there was concern at one point during the set when he appeared to be suffering an eye problem. "Just something came to my eye, that's all," said Nadal, who is chasing a sixth title this year. "I think it was just a hair or something, a hair from the tennis ball. It was bothering me for a while." "Not important, (but) I am still feeling (it) a little bit by the way," Nadal, who attempted to wash the suspected fibre out with water, added with a smile.Rafael Nadal has won again - he's into the final of the China Open https://t.co/GXiZqkEHwx pic.twitter.com/ZjIl13x9Ev
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 7, 2017
Nadal will face a familiar figure in Dimitrov -- the pair practised together at Nadal's base in Mallorca before the US Open, where the Spaniard won the title for a third time this year. They even went fishing together, but Nadal said they will have their game faces on for Saturday: "At the end of the day we are competitors. "We go on court and we try our best and we want to win. "Of course, he is a player that I really have like a good friend on the tour. He's a great guy."Rafael Nadal is closing in on his sixth title of the season ? https://t.co/GXiZqkEHwx pic.twitter.com/NJFdUh61v2
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 7, 2017
Kyrgios, 22, enjoyed an easy passage into the last four when Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis retired at 6-0 and 3-0 down. The 20-year-old Zverev, like Nadal also searching for a sixth title in a breakthrough season, had few scares in dispatching Russia's Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-3. The comfortable victory propelled Zverev into the ATP Finals in London for the first time, joining Nadal and Roger Federer for the end-of-season spectacular. Simona Halep is on the cusp of overhauling Garbine Muguruza as world number one after the Romanian raced into the semi-finals of the women's draw.60 wins in '17. ✔️
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 7, 2017
9-0 in semis. ✔️
110 singles finals lifetime. ✔️
Nadal is one win from his first Beijing title since 2005!#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/tZHCL51neI
The second-ranked Halep eased past Russia's unseeded Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-1 in 69 minutes and will face Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko. Halep, 26, will usurp Muguruza at the top if she reaches the final in Beijing. Halep and Ostapenko met in the final at the French Open earlier this year, with the Latvian winning the duel.We have a NEW World No.1…
— WTA (@WTA) October 7, 2017
Congrats @Simona_Halep--> https://t.co/75oyHIYfNt pic.twitter.com/v4NaaezfpJ
But Halep is in red-hot form and claimed the scalp of former number one Maria Sharapova earlier this week, beating the Russian at the eighth attempt. Petra Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, faces in-form Caroline Garcia of France in the other semi-final. Garcia outlasted world number three Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in three gruelling late-night sets, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), in a match lasting nearly three-and-a-half hours and finishing close to 1:00 am..@Simona_Halep books @ChinaOpen Final spot!
— WTA (@WTA) October 7, 2017
Avenges Roland Garros final defeat by Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/DpWq124Hss
"It's very emotional - I think the first time I have cried on court... but it's my special day!" - @Simona_Halep pic.twitter.com/Cne19M4cx9
— WTA (@WTA) October 7, 2017