Nadal and Murray in semi-final showdown in Toronto

The Scot will meet Rafael Nadal next, who had to work hard to overcome the world number 37 Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6 6-3 6-4.

Nalbandian came into the match on a superb run of form which had seen him win 11 consecutive matches en route to winning last week's ATP event in Washington and defeat Robin Soderling in the previous round.

But Murray was in control from the off, breaking his opponent in just the third game of the match.

He continued to pressurise the Argentine's every stroke and secured the double break as Nalbandian ran out of ideas and conceded the first set in half an hour.

There was no repeat of Murray's fallibility in the previous round, in which he lost the second set to Gael Monfils 6-0, and instead he continued to patiently force the mistakes from his opponent and open a 2-0 lead in the second set.

Nalbandian dug deep and held his serve a couple of occasions, but he could not earn a single break point on the Murray serve, and with his frustrations boiling over the former Wimbledon finalist served out a poor game to give Murray a double-break at 5-2.

Murray, the fourth seed, needed no second invitation, and finished the match with a commanding ace down the middle to seal the win in just 70 minutes.

World number one Nadal looked lethargic in the opening exchanges, and Kohlschreiber pounced on the opportunity that Nadal presented, breaking immediately and racing to a 3-0 lead.

Though Nadal improved as the set wore on the German's serve stayed smooth and strong, and he showed no nerves to close out the first set 6-3.

As the match continued Nadal rose to the occasion. With a fierce winner down the line Nadal secured the early break and he never looked like relinquishing his advantage. Kohlschreiber held his serve but so did Nadal, taking the set 6-3.

In the third set Kohlschreiber saved four break points in one enthralling service game, then failed to convert a break point of his own on the Nadal serve.

The very next game Nadal pounced on the German's every mistake to break to love and take a 4-3 lead in the decider.

“Philipp played well at the beginning and I made a lot of mistakes, but I found confidence on my serve in the second set and finished the match much better,” Nadal said.

Nadal is attempting to become the first player in history [since 1990] to win four consecutive ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns following his clean sweep of the clay titles in Monte-Carlo, Rome and Madrid earlier in the year.