Page 21 - ARUBATODDAY 22AUG,2015

SPORTS A21
Saturday 22 August 2015

Top-ranked Djokovic, Serena Williams reach Cincy semifinals

of my biggest rivals and my tournament. I know
the guy I lost to last time where I am. There’s a lot of
we played in the finals of positives to take from this
French Open.” week: Winning two tough
The two hadn’t played matches without playing
since the French Open. At my best tennis, fighting,
4-4 in the first set, Djokovic staying there.”
broke Wawrinka and went Djokovic will play quali-
on to win the next five fier Alexandr Dolgopolov,
games, taking command. who upset sixth-seeded To-
“I think maybe I’m a little mas Berdych 6-4, 6-2. He’s
bit empty mentally to stay the first qualifier to reach
at my top,” Wawrinka said. the semifinals in Cincinnati
“I’m generally happy with since 1994.q

Andy Murray, of Britain, waves to the crowd after defeating Richard Gasquet, of France, 4-6, 6-1,
6-4 in a quarterfinal at the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Friday, Aug. 21, 2015, in
Mason, Ohio.

Associated Press

JOE KAY ment for the first time on not over until you shake
AP Sports Writer her sixth try last year, beat- the hand,” Ivanovic said.
MASON, Ohio (AP) — No- ing Ivanovic in the final. “You have to fight for each
vak Djokovic played his She lost in the semifinals at point.
best match. Serena Wil- Toronto last week and is us- Especially Serena — every
liams? Well, she needed to ing her week in Cincinnati time she was down and
pull a Serena to move on. as a final tuneup for the her back against the wall,
Taking two different ap- U.S. Open, where she’ll try she came up with the best
proaches, the top seeds to complete a rare Grand shots.”
at Cincinnati reached the Slam sweep. By contrast, Djokovic need-
semifinals on Friday, mov- This one was ragged. ed only 63 minutes to reach
ing step closer to a title Williams got only 46 per- the semifinals, looking fresh
that’s been tough for ei- cent of her first serves in throughout the match. He
ther of them to win. play and had 36 unforced had only eight unforced
Djokovic beat fifth-seeded errors. errors to 27 for Wawrinka,
Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 6-1, After dropping the first set, who was coming off a
knocking off the player she fell behind 3-4 in the long, three-tiebreaker win
who beat him for the second set. At that point, on Friday.
French Open title. Williams she turned it around, break- Djokovic has been both-
followed on center court, ing Ivanovic’s serve five ered by a sore elbow that
struggled with her serve, times while pulling away. affected his serve. The el-
and had to “pull a Serena” “Usually there isn’t a point bow is better, and so was
and rally from behind to where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m go- Djokovic’s serve — 85 per-
beat Ana Ivanovic 3-6, 6-4, ing to do this,’ but today cent accuracy during the
6-2. there definitely was,” Wil- first set.
“It’s like when you’re down liams said. “It was the best perfor-
and maybe down a break She dominated the last mance I had so far this
in a set and a set, and you six games, advancing to week,” said Djokovic,
pull a Serena is when you a semifinal against 14th- who is 18-4 career against
come back and win,” she seeded Elina Svitolina. Wawrinka. “Came at the
said. “Against top players, it’s right time, against one
Third-seeded Andy Murray
reached the semifinals by
beating Richard Gasquet
4-6, 6-1, 6-4, his second
straight three-set match.
Djokovic has never won at
Cincinnati, the only one
of the nine ATP Masters
events that has eluded
him. He’s trying to become
the first to win all nine.
Williams won the tourna-