MELBOURNE (Agencies) - Rafael Nadals hopes of winning four straight Grand Slam tournaments is over on Wednesday when compatriot Ferrer defeated him in straight sets. The injured Nadal lost for the second straight year in the Australian Open quarterfinals, going down 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. Nadal, who appeared to have tears in his eyes during a changeover while trailing 3-0 in the third set, took a medical timeout for an apparent leg injury after three games. He was clearly out of sorts, failing to chase down balls that he would ordinarily return easily. Nadal, who didnt bother chasing the winner on match point, won last years French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open. He was trying to add the Australian title and hold all four major trophies, which hasnt been achieved since Rod Laver won four in a row in 1969. Last year, he retired against Andy Murray because of a right knee ailment that kept him off the tour for two months, again on the Australia Day national holiday. Nadal picked up a virus two weeks ago in Doha at the start of the year. He sweated profusely in several of his matches. Nadal didnt want to elaborate on his injury, saying he didnt want to use injuries as an excuse. The fireworks that would have lit up the tennis world had Nadal won his fourth in a row came Wednesday night during the matchAustralia Day celebrations forced a 10-minute interruption for a pyrotechnics show in the sky outside Rod Laver Arena. As the fireworks exploded, Nadal changed his shirt and briefly left the stadium. He came back a couple of minutes later and took off his right shoe and rubbed his toes and sock. After losing the second set, the usually fidgety Nadal slumped in his chair at the changeover, completely still with his head bent. The crowd cheered almost exclusively for NadalCome on, Rafawhile often applauding Ferrers errors. Nadal appeared to be over his problems, saying after his fourth-round win over Marin Cilic that he was perfect physically. Murray wont have to get past Nadal this year, but he will have to beat Ferrer and either defending champion Roger Federer or 2008 champion Novak Djokovic to claim his first major title. He advanced Wednesday with a 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 win over unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov, after Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva advanced to the womens semi-finals. Clijsters advanced to a semi-final against No. 2 Zvonareva, whom she beat in the final at the U.S. Open last September. It will be the 10th tour meeting for the pair, with Clijsters holding a 6-3 advantage. Clijsters had some nervous moments in her 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over No. 12 Agnieszka Radwanska. Cannons went off earlier when Zvonareva started the Australia Day proceedings with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Petra Kvitova. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki plays Li Na of China in another semi-final today (Thursday), before Federer and third-seeded Djokovic meet in a night semi-final. Dolgopolov had already beaten 2008 runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and French Open finalist Robin Soderling and has the kind of unorthodox game that can unsettle higher-ranked players. Clijsters is the only Grand Slam winner into the womens semis, although shes still seeking her first major title outside of America. I hope the experience can help me a little bit, Clijsters said. But there are some tough players out there, we have Nos. 1, 2, 3 still in and Li Na has been playing really well. So it is going to be really tough. Zvonareva has lost the last two Grand Slam finals, to Clijsters in New York and Serena Williams at Wimbledon. Clijsters was up a set and a break before Radwanska rallied, winning three straight games to lead 5-4 with a chance to serve for the second set. Zvonareva wore a black ribbon on her hat in honour of the 35 victims of the suicide bombing at a Moscow airport this week. Her quarterfinal also featured a couple distractions. Zvonareva and Kvitova were surprised when cannons went off in a nearby park. Zvonareva asked that the match be stopped for a few minutes while a woman in her sight line was given medical attention in the stands, but chair umpire Mariana Alves told them to play.