While Tomas Berdych blamed the wind for being blown out of Wimbledon, Rafael Nadal looks increasingly capable of weathering whatever an English summer can throw at him.

The world number two was the last player to get past the third round on this wettest of Wimbledons but he became the first to reach the semi-finals after surging to a 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 6-2 win over the seventh-seeded Czech.

The rain which has blighted the Championships was conspicuous by its absence, only to be replaced by a wicked wind that played havoc with the normally precise grasscourt game of Berdych on an exposed Centre Court.

"I don't like these kind of conditions," he moaned. "It's not good for tennis.

"It's not for me. I have still a lot to learn about how to play in such windy conditions.

"My serve is my advantage and today it didn't work because it's impossible in this weather to serve good."

Nadal, whose third-round match against Robin Soderling was stopped eight times by rain and ran over five days, was not going to allow a little breeze to get the better of him but he did had some sympathy for his opponent.

"It was difficult with the wind and it especially affected his serve," he said.

"I tried to concentrate all the time with a positive attitude."

In fact, Nadal produced an awesome display of power and precision that even drew gasps of admiration from James Bond to set up a last-four clash with Novak Djokovic.

And, after taking five sets to get past each of his two previous opponents, he was relieved to get the chance to put his feet up ahead of Saturday's semi-final against Novak Djokovic.

"It was important to win in three sets after two very, very tough matches but the most important thing is the victory," he said.

Berdych had been expected to be a dangerous opponent, having beaten Nadal in three of their previous five meetings, but, having mastered the young Czech twice on clay, Nadal demonstrated his growing confidence on grass.

Nadal, who claimed he had played his best-ever match on grass when coming from two sets down to beat Mikhail Youzhny in the previous round, dropped his serve for the only time in a close-fought first set.

But he grew with every rally and Berdych paid for crucial lapses of concentration at the start of the second and third sets in which he dropped his serve.

Centre Court was less than half-full when the players came out for an 11am start, with Pierce Brosnan casting a lonely figure in the Royal Box, and the late risers missed plenty of action, with six break points in the first three games.

Nadal had to save two break points in his opening game, which spanned nine minutes, and both men then dropped their serve as they struggled to cope with the swirling wind.

Berdych had another chance to break in the seventh game but both men grew more confident on their own serve and it was no surprise when it went to a tie-break.

Berdych unsuccessfully challenged an ace in the first point and there was no way back once he conceded two mini-breaks to allow Nadal to roar into a 5-0 lead.

The 21-year-old Czech began to look dispirited as Nadal strengthened his grip on the match.

The muscular Spaniard was getting 77 per cent of his first serves in and even enjoyed an 76 per cent success rate with his second serve, leaving Berdych virtually nothing to attack.

The seventh seed had to fight to hold onto his serve in the ninth game, saving one set point with a drive forehand, but could not prevent his opponent serving out to take the second set 6-4.

The end came quickly for Berdych when he missed a routine volley at the net on break point in the opening game of the third set.

Nadal consolidated the break and raced into a 5-1 lead after the flailing Czech dropped his serve for a fourth time.

Berdych then saved one match point with an 11th ace and Nadal squandered a second on his serve but it merely delayed the inevitable.

"For the conditions, I played a very good match," added Nadal. "I beat one of the best players in the world, especially on this surface.

"It is a very good victory for me. I have beaten very good players in Fish, Soderling, Youzhny and Berdych so I am very happy about my Wimbledon right now."