Before the Barcelona Open there was talk that Milos Raonic couldn't challenge for the title because of a perceived weakness on clay courts.

The Canadian, ranked No. 25 in the world, continues to prove otherwise, knocking off Andy Murray 6-4 7-6 Friday to advance to the semifinals.

Raonic blasted 14 aces en route to defeating Murray, ranked No. 4 in the world.

"Clay's not (Murray's) best surface, but he consistently does well on it," Raonic said, taking the focus off himself.

"Last year he reached the semifinals at the French Open, Monte Carlo and Rome, so he can play really well on it. For me, it was a big win, regardless of the surface."

Next up, Raonic meets David Ferrer, who saved three match points in a 6-7 7-6 6-3 win over Feliciano Lopez.

Rafael Nadal also moved on to the semis, where he will meet Fernando Verdasco. Nadal defeated Janko Tipsarevic 6-2, 6-2, while Verdasco advanced when Kei Nishikori was forced to retire with an injured left hip.