MONTREAL: Kei Nishikori swept aside Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Friday with a swift 6-2, 6-4 victory, while world number one Novak Djokovic saved two match points before beating Latvian Ernests Gulbis.

Japan’s Nishikori, seeded fourth, took just 82 minutes to beat the Spaniard, a 14-time Grand Slam champion and a winner three times at the Rogers Cup.

The tournament winner last week in Washington, Nishikori topped Nadal for the first time in eight attempts.

“It took a long time to beat Rafa,” Nishikori said. “I don’t usually like to play against him, but the last couple of matches — I had chances in Australia and in Madrid last year — so I knew I was close.”

The red-hot Nishikori will next face second seed Andy Murray in the semi-finals after the Briton beat French 10th-seeded holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-4 and took revenge for a semi-final loss a year ago in Canada.

Djokovic almost joined Nadal on the way out but rallied from a set down to beat Gulbis 5-7, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1, setting up a semi-final with Jeremy Chardy of France.

“Ernests was a better player for two sets — unfortunately he missed two match points,” Djokovic said. “I wasn’t very happy with my game. But you have to muscle it out sometimes and I had to put in the effort.”

Unseeded Chardy also clawed his way back from the brink, saving seven match points to beat John Isner 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (15-13), 7-6 (7-4) in the rain-delayed opening match and reach his first Masters Series semi-final.

Chardy overcame 32 aces from the big American to reach the final four. The match, which began two hours late due to rain, lasted three hours and eight minutes.

“It was a crazy match,” Chardy said. “We both served really well and we both had our chances, so I am happy that I won it in the end.”

SERENA DOMINATES VINCI TO REACH TORONTO SEMIS

TORONTO: World number one Serena Williams continued her march towards her fourth Toronto title on Friday with a 6-4, 6-3 dismantling of Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the quarter-finals of the WTA Rogers Cup.

The winner of the first three Grand Slam events of the season, the 33-year-old Serena will face Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic, a 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 winner over fifth-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.

“Just another step in the right direction,” said Serena, preparing for the US Open. “I don’t feel like I’m at my best or anywhere near it. But I feel like I’m going in the right direction and I want to keep that up.”

In other quarter-final action, second seeded Romanian Simona Halep sleepwalked through the first set before producing a remarkable comeback to record a 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over defending champion and Polish sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

“At the beginning I could not move my legs. I felt very tired,” said Halep. “But I kept my concentration and changed a few things and was able to come back.”

Halep, a winner at Indian Wells earlier this season, will take on Italy’s Sara Errani for a place in the final after the 15th seed advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2015

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