"He is not in the right condition to contest a match of the intensity of a quarter-final, " Ruiz-Cotorro explained.

BBC: Nadal handed bye into semi-finals

"Rafa comes in off a very tough year and his body has been warning him for weeks, " Ruiz-Cotorro said.

BBC: Nadal will miss Davis Cup final

Tournament doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro said Nalbandian, who went through to the last eight when he beat Spanish 10th seed Almagro 6-3 6-4, had sustained an inflammation of the right hip.

BBC: Nadal handed bye into semi-finals