Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer won to advance to a semifinal showdown at the Sony Ericsson Open - their first meeting in North America in six years.

The top-ranked Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in his quarterfinal match, while Federer advanced when his opponent, Gilles Simon, retired with a stiff neck after losing the first three games.

The rivals were playing last night for the 23rd time – but for the first time in North America since this tournament in 2005, when Federer beat Nadal for the title.

“We really get up for these kind of matches against each other because we know the world is watching,” Federer said. “We always have these incredible points and incredible matches.”

Nadal and Federer have played in eight countries and one principality on four continents, producing some of the sport’s most dramatic moments. Federer owns a record 16 Grand Slam titles but is only 8-14 against Nadal, including 2-6 in major tournaments. They’ve battled on even terms in recent years for the No. 1 ranking.

Maria Sharapova overcame a slow start by winning 11 consecutive games to reach the women’s final, beating Andrea Petkovic of Germany 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

Sharapova is seeking her first title since May 2010, and her first ever at Key Biscayne.

“It would mean a lot,” she said. “It’s the biggest tournament I think after the Grand Slams. I look forward to going out there and getting it done.”

Her opponent today will be 2009 champion Victoria Azarenka, who beat No. 3-seeded Vera Zvonareva

6-0, 6-3.

Sharapova, a former No. 1 player who has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, began this year ranked 18th and will return to the top 10 next week.

The No. 8-seeded Azarenka of Belarus has hardly been dominant in the tournament thus far, splitting sets in her first three matches. But she committed only 12 unforced errors and never faced a break point against Zvonareva.