<p>Rafael Nadal was locked in a French Open quarterfinal tussle with Argentinian Diego Schwartzman when rain ended play on Wednesday, after Garbine Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova to reach a last-four showdown with top seed Simona Halep.</p>.<p>World number one Nadal lost his first set at Roland Garros in three years, and when bad weather first interrupted the match the 10-time champion was in serious trouble with Schwartzman up a break in the second.</p>.<p>The players briefly returned to the court, giving the 32-year-old Spaniard enough time to reel off three straight games, but the rains came again for a second and final time when he was serving for the set.</p>.<p>The match will resume on Thursday with Schwartzman leading 6-4, 3-5 (15-30).</p>.<p>The winner of the match will play either third seed Marin Cilic or Schwartzman's compatriot Juan Martin del Potro.</p>.<p>Their last-eight match was level at 6-6 (5/5) in a first-set tie-break on Court Suzanne Lenglen after Del Potro had earlier missed five break points.</p>.<p>Nadal had won 37 consecutive sets at Roland Garros since his 2015 quarterfinal defeat by Novak Djokovic, but dropped serve three times to the enterprising Schwartzman in an exciting opener.</p>.<p>The 25-year-old took his third set point with a rasping forehand up the line, after being made to wait when a spectator fell ill in the stands.</p>.<p>Nadal made 14 unforced errors and struck just four winners in a poor first set, before having both of his wrists strapped by the trainer.</p>.<p>Schwartzman, who had never even reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal until last year's US Open, broke first in the second set as Nadal uncharacteristically blew a 40-15 lead, capped by two wild forehands.</p>.<p>The Court Philippe Chatrier, which was half-full during Muguruza's dismantling of Sharapova earlier in the afternoon, was packed with a crowd living every point when rain started to fall.</p>.<p>Play continued though, with the set following a similar pattern to the first, as Nadal broke back before dropping his serve to 15.</p>.<p>The players were forced off the court for 40 minutes, but when they returned Nadal levelled for 3-3 and let out a trademark roar of 'vamos'.</p>.<p>Muguruza condemned Sharapova to her heaviest Grand Slam defeat in more than six years and will face top seed Simona Halep for a place in the final against either Sloane Stephens or Madison Keys.</p>.<p>The Spanish third seed, who was the champion in Paris in 2016, swept aside the Russian 6-2, 6-1 in just an hour and 10 minutes.</p>.<p>Her semifinal with Halep will also decide the world number one spot next week.</p>.<p>Current number one Halep made the semifinals for the third time by battling past Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2.</p>.<p>"I am very pleased to be in another final in Paris," said Muguruza who has yet to drop a set in the tournament and claimed her first win over Sharapova in four meetings.</p>.<p>Sharapova made 27 unforced errors, was broken six times and served six double faults in only her fifth loss from 25 Grand Slam quarterfinals.</p>.<p>"To have had the victories that I have had, to have the results that I have, obviously moving a step in the right direction," said the five-time Grand Slam champion who had made the last-eight in Madrid and semis in Rome in the run-up to Paris.</p>.<p>"But today was certainly not one of those steps."</p>
<p>Rafael Nadal was locked in a French Open quarterfinal tussle with Argentinian Diego Schwartzman when rain ended play on Wednesday, after Garbine Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova to reach a last-four showdown with top seed Simona Halep.</p>.<p>World number one Nadal lost his first set at Roland Garros in three years, and when bad weather first interrupted the match the 10-time champion was in serious trouble with Schwartzman up a break in the second.</p>.<p>The players briefly returned to the court, giving the 32-year-old Spaniard enough time to reel off three straight games, but the rains came again for a second and final time when he was serving for the set.</p>.<p>The match will resume on Thursday with Schwartzman leading 6-4, 3-5 (15-30).</p>.<p>The winner of the match will play either third seed Marin Cilic or Schwartzman's compatriot Juan Martin del Potro.</p>.<p>Their last-eight match was level at 6-6 (5/5) in a first-set tie-break on Court Suzanne Lenglen after Del Potro had earlier missed five break points.</p>.<p>Nadal had won 37 consecutive sets at Roland Garros since his 2015 quarterfinal defeat by Novak Djokovic, but dropped serve three times to the enterprising Schwartzman in an exciting opener.</p>.<p>The 25-year-old took his third set point with a rasping forehand up the line, after being made to wait when a spectator fell ill in the stands.</p>.<p>Nadal made 14 unforced errors and struck just four winners in a poor first set, before having both of his wrists strapped by the trainer.</p>.<p>Schwartzman, who had never even reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal until last year's US Open, broke first in the second set as Nadal uncharacteristically blew a 40-15 lead, capped by two wild forehands.</p>.<p>The Court Philippe Chatrier, which was half-full during Muguruza's dismantling of Sharapova earlier in the afternoon, was packed with a crowd living every point when rain started to fall.</p>.<p>Play continued though, with the set following a similar pattern to the first, as Nadal broke back before dropping his serve to 15.</p>.<p>The players were forced off the court for 40 minutes, but when they returned Nadal levelled for 3-3 and let out a trademark roar of 'vamos'.</p>.<p>Muguruza condemned Sharapova to her heaviest Grand Slam defeat in more than six years and will face top seed Simona Halep for a place in the final against either Sloane Stephens or Madison Keys.</p>.<p>The Spanish third seed, who was the champion in Paris in 2016, swept aside the Russian 6-2, 6-1 in just an hour and 10 minutes.</p>.<p>Her semifinal with Halep will also decide the world number one spot next week.</p>.<p>Current number one Halep made the semifinals for the third time by battling past Germany's Angelique Kerber 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-2.</p>.<p>"I am very pleased to be in another final in Paris," said Muguruza who has yet to drop a set in the tournament and claimed her first win over Sharapova in four meetings.</p>.<p>Sharapova made 27 unforced errors, was broken six times and served six double faults in only her fifth loss from 25 Grand Slam quarterfinals.</p>.<p>"To have had the victories that I have had, to have the results that I have, obviously moving a step in the right direction," said the five-time Grand Slam champion who had made the last-eight in Madrid and semis in Rome in the run-up to Paris.</p>.<p>"But today was certainly not one of those steps."</p>