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BEIJING, Sept 16: Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero won a battle of attrition with Argentine David Nalbandian 6-2 3-6 6-3 to advance to the China Open semifinals on Friday. The sixth seed prevailed after a dour baseline struggle, breaking third seed Nalbandian to go up 5-3 in the third set and closing out with a big serve on his first match point.
Former world number one Ferrero will play either fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal or Dutchman Peter Wessels in Saturday’s semi-finals in Beijing.
Top seed Nadal plays Wessels in Friday’s last match after winning his rain-delayed second round match earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Argentine Guillermo Coria, the second seed, overcame last year’s runner-up Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 1-6 6-1 to set up a semi-final with Sweden’s Thomas Johansson.
Fourth seed Johansson overpowered number eight Carlos Moya 7-6 6-3 in the day’s first quarter-final.
Johansson quickly pressed home his advantage after claiming the first set tiebreak 7-3, finishing in style with his fourth ace after 76 minutes.
French Open champion Nadal took more than two and a half hours to beat American Justin Gimelstob 5-7 6-4 6-4.
Results
Men’s singles (quarterfinals): Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-4 1-6 6-2; Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) bt David Nalbandian (Argentina) 6-2 3-6 6-3; Thomas Johansson (Sweden) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 7-6(3) 6-3
Second round: Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Justin Gimelstob (United States) 5-7 6-4 6-4; Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Toshihide Matsui (Japan) 6-1 6-0; Peter Wessels (Netherlands) bt Yu Wang Jr. (China) 6-1 7-6(9); Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) bt Danai Udomchoke (Thailand) 7-5 6-1
BALI: Top seed Lindsay Davenport booked her place in the semifinals of the Bali International tournament on Friday with a comfortable 6-3 6-1 defeat of Italy’s Maria Elena Camerin.
Second seed Patty Schynder of Switzerland had liitle trouble beating Japan’s Aiko Nakamura 6-4 6-1, although Italian Francesca Schiavone, who she plays in the last four, struggled.
Schiavone was involved in a tense contest with sixth seed and compatriot Flavia Pennetta, taking two hours and 36 minutes to win 5-7 6-3 7-5.
Results (quarterfinals): Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Aiko Nakamura (Japan) 6-4 6-1; Lindsay Davenport (United States) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 6-3 6-1; Na Li (China) bt Alyona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-4 3-6 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 5-7 6-3 7-5.—Reuters
