Nadal goes down to Ferrer, Djokovic beats Tsonga in World Tennis Championship semis

World number one Rafael Nadal saw a disappointing turn to his season with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the semi-finals of the Mudabala World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

It was the Spaniard's first match since losing in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in the final of the World Tour Finals in London on November 11.

In the second semi-final, world number two Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 under the watchful eyes of new coach Boris Becker, the report added.

According to Sport24, ahead of the official ATP season-opener in nearby Doha next week, Nadal struggled to find his range against an opponent who already had a game under his belt, having defeated Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

Ferrer, who announced that he was splitting with long-time coach Javier Piles in a bid to finally with a Grand Slam title, said that he feels the fact that he had already played a game on the same surface meant that he was better prepared than Nadal, adding that he will look to produce his best tennis for the final.