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LOS ANGELES, July 21: Second-seeded American James Blake eased through to the semi-finals of the Los Angeles Classic on Friday, but former world No 1 Marat Safin was knocked out by South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik.
Blake, hunting his first ATP title in six months, ended a run of five successive losses to compatriot Vince Spadea with a polished 7-6, 6-4 victory in sapping heat at the Los Angeles Tennis Centre.
The 27-year-old edged the opening set 7-2 on a tiebreak and broke his opponent in the first and seventh games of the second before sealing the win in one hour and 22 minutes.
Blake will meet seventh-seeded Lee in the last four, the Korean having come from behind to upset Safin 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The big-serving Russian appeared to have a fluctuating match under control when he broke Lee in the opening game of the final set before leading 4-2.
But the Korean broke back in the eighth before sealing victory in the 10th when Safin double-faulted on match point.
Wildcard Nicolas Kiefer, inching his way back into form after a long injury layoff, beat fellow German Michael Berrer 7-6, 6-1 in an earlier match.
The 30-year-old Kiefer, who hurt his wrist at last year's French Open, won the opening set 7-5 on a tiebreak before storming through the second set with three breaks of serve.
Kiefer will meet Czech Radek Stepanek in the last four after the former world No 8 dusted off local favourite Zack Fleishman 6-4, 6-2 in 62 minutes in their quarter-final.
The Czech needed a single break to clinch the first and broke in the opening game of the second before easing to his second consecutive ATP semi after reaching the last four in Gstaad, Switzerland earlier in the month.
Friday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Quarter-finals: Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Zack Fleishman (US) 6-4, 6-2; 7-Lee Hyung-Taik (South Korea) beat 3-Marat Safin (Russia) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4; Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) beat Michael Berrer (Germany) 7-6 (7-5), 6-1; 2-James Blake (US) beat Vince Spadea (US) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.
STUTTGART (Germany): World No 2 Rafael Nadal proved that his injured knee was holding up well during a 6-1, 6-3 win over Juan Monaco in the quarter-finals of the Stuttgart Cup on Friday.
The French Open winner suffered a slight injury to his right knee in Thursday's victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Top-seeded Nadal played the majority of Thursday's match with his knee taped. On Friday, he needed just 76 minutes to defeat Monaco for his 91st win in his last 92 matches on clay.
In the semi-finals, Nadal now faces compatriot Feliciano Lopez, who beat Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Stanislas Wawrinka won a spot in the other semi-final with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Jiri Vanek. Wawrinka faces Juan Ignacio Chela, who beat Fernando Verdasco 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Friday’s results:
Quarter-finals: 1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat 8-Juan Monaco (Argentina) 6-1, 6-3; Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat 6-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; 7-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) beat Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) 6-1, 6-4.
AMERSFOORT (Netherlands): Unseeded Werner Eschauer beat former world No 1 Carlos Moya 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Amersfoort Open.
Victory over the third-seeded Spaniard and progress to the semi-finals marked the best achievement of 33-year-old Eschauer's ATP Tour career.
Qualifier Steve Darcis also reached the last four with a 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final win over Igor Andreev.
The Belgian's semi-final opponent will be another Russian, second seed Mikhail Youzhny, who has not lost a service game in the tournament and cruised to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over compatriot Evgeny Korolev.
Friday’s results:
Quarter-finals: Werner Eschauer (Austria) beat 3-Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4; Steve Darcis (Belgium) beat Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-3, 6-4; 2-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 6-4, 6-3.
CINCINNATI (Ohio): Seventh-seeded Akiko Morigami ousted second-seeded Patty Schnyder on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Open hardcourt tournament.
Morigami downed Schnyder 6-3, 6-1 to claim her first victory over the Swiss in their fourth meeting. Morigami had never taken a set off Schnyder before.
Russian top seed Anna Chavetadze booked a semi-final berth when compatriot Elena Vesnina was unable to complete their match.
Trailing 6-7 (3-7), 6-0, 4-1, the sixth-seeded Vesnina retired with a right shoulder strain, allowing Chakvetadze to move on to the semi-finals in her Cincinnati debut.
Ranked eighth in the world, the 20-year-old will face third-seeded Sania Mirza.
Sania had little problem advancing with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Olga Govortsova.
Qualifier Akgul Amanmu-radova is next up for Morigami after a convincing 6-1, 6-4, win over Lilia Osterloh.
Friday’s results:
Quarter-finals: 7-Akiko Morigami (Japan) beat 2-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 6-3, 6-1; Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) beat Lilia Osterloh (US) 6-1, 6-4; 1-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) beat 6-Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-7 (3-7), 6-0, 4-1 – Vesnina retired; 3-Sania Mirza (India) beat Olga Govortsova (Belarus) 6-1, 6-1.—Agencies
