Page 21 - ATD 17OCT,2015
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SPORTS A21
Saturday 17 October 2015
Nadal routs Wawrinka 6-2, 6-1 to reach Shanghai semifinals
JUSTIN BERGMAN in Anderson of South Africa Marin Cilic on Thursday that Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a return shot as he plays against Milos
Associated Press 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4. finished late at night. Raonic of Canada during their Shanghai Masters tennis tourna-
SHANGHAI (AP) — Rafael Nadal looked sharp “Today I was just struggling ment in Shanghai, China, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015.
Nadal is starting to look throughout the match a little bit. It’s that simple,”
like his dominant former against Wawrinka and he said. “Against Nadal Associated Press
self, the player who won his shots had the pace you cannot do anything if
14 Grand Slam titles. He’s and depth they lacked you’re not 100 percent.”
even beating the top play- at times this year. For the Djokovic is also coming off
ers again. second straight match, he a title run last week at the
After struggling with his also faced only one break China Open, but he’s spent
confidence and consis- point, which he saved. far less time on court. Until
tency for much of the sea- Nadal hadn’t won against Friday, he hadn’t lost more
son, the Spanish star beat a a top-five player since last than five games in any of
top-five player for the first year’s French Open final his seven matches in Beijing
time in more than a year when he defeated Djokov- and Shanghai.
with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Stan ic for the title. Tomic pressed him in the first
Wawrinka in the quarterfi- After that victory, the rest of set, rallying from 2-4 down
nals of the Shanghai Mas- his season was derailed by to force a tiebreaker and
ters on Friday. a wrist injury and appendi- then saving two set points
It wasn’t just a victory, but citis, and when he returned before Djokovic finally con-
a convincing one. It was this year, he’s had to over- verted on the third.
Nadal’s most lopsided win come doubts he’d be able “(It) went down to a cou-
over Wawrinka in 15 meet- to return to his old form. ple points decided the first
ings. Losses to Dustin Brown at set in the tiebreak,” Djokov-
“Obviously, when you play Wimbledon and Italy’s Fa- ic said. “Obviously was a
against the best players, bio Fognini on three differ- huge relief for me to win
you want to play well and ent occasions only dented the first set.”
be competitive,” he said. his confidence further. Djokovic has a 19-9 over-
“I am happy. I am working “I don’t believe in drastic all record over Murray and
so hard every day, with the changes,” he said. “What has won eight of their nine
right energy, I believe.” I believe is play weeks in a contests. Murray took their
Top-seeded Novak Djokov- row, play at solid level, and latest match, however, in
ic also advanced with his that’s what I feel I am do- Montreal in August.
15th consecutive victory, ing better and better.” “It wasn’t like I was go-
holding off Australia’s Ber- The fourth-seeded Wawrin- ing out there and getting
nard Tomic in a tight first-set ka was clearly not at his blown off the court,” Mur-
tiebreaker before closing it best on Friday. The French ray said of his recent losses
out 7-6 (6), 6-1. Open champion missed to Djokovic.
Djokovic will play Andy wildly on his groundstrokes, “I was playing some good
Murray in Saturday’s semi- finishing with 34 unforced tennis and hanging with
final after the third-seed- errors. him. I managed to do
ed Briton saw off Tomas He was playing his eighth that throughout the whole
Berdych 6-1, 6-3. Nadal will match in the past 10 days match when we played in
play Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in after winning the title in To- Montreal. Hopefully, I can
the other semifinal after the kyo last week and had a play another good one
French player topped Kev- tough three-set victory over tomorrow.”q
Venus Williams reaches semifinals at Hong Kong Open
HONG KONG (AP) — Venus Kerber defeated Caroline
Williams closed in on a spot Garcia 7-5, 6-3.
in the season-ending WTA “I lost my way at the out-
Finals by beating Alize Cor- set but being a three-set
net 6-1, 6-1 Friday to reach match, I didn’t let it bother
the Hong Kong Open semi- me,” said Stosur, the 2011
finals. U.S. Open champion. “It
The third-seeded Ameri- doesn’t matter if you don’t
can, a seven-time Grand start fantastic, what mat-
Slam champion, won the ters is how you finish.” q
Wuhan Open this month.
Williams will next meet Venus Williams of the United
Jelena Jankovic, who beat States hits a return shot against
Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-1. Alize Cornet of France during
“I’m not thinking of winning the quarterfinal match at the
that match only,” Williams WTA Hong Kong Open tennis
said. “My goal here is to tournament in Hong Kong,
win the tournament.” Friday, Oct. 16, 2015.
Angelique Kerber and Sa-
mantha Stosur also ad- Associated Press
vanced, and will face
each other in the semifi-
nals. Stosur beat Heather
Watson 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 while
