Rafael Nadal continued his triumphant return from injury with a straight-sets triumph over defending champion Roger Federer in the quarter-finals of the Indian Wells Masters on Thursday.

Nadal broke Federer three times in the second set en route to a 6-4 6-2 victory over the 17-time grand slam champion, who has yet to win a title in 2013.

The Spaniard, who returned from a seven-month injury absence in February, next plays sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, a 6-4 6-4 winner over South African Kevin Anderson.