Djokovic steamrolls into semis
Source: Agencies |
May 1, 2011, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WORLD No. 2 Novak Djokovic settled an old score with a childhood rival when he beat Slovenian Blaz Kavcic 6-3, 6-2 on Friday to reach the Serbia Open semifinals.
The 23-year old Serb, who will meet compatriot and close friend Janko Tipsarevic for a berth in today's final, showed some nerves in the second set before he stretched his unbeaten run in 2011 to 26 matches.
Djokovic was 4-1 up when the umpire ordered play to continue despite heavy rain and facing a break point, the home favorite sat down and waited for the slippery lines to be mopped up before he dropped his serve.
But it was only a temporary blip as the winner of this year's Australian Open, Dubai Championships and Master series events in Miami and Indian Wells regained his composure to seal the match in 1 hour 25 minutes.
"I remember very well losing to Kavcic 10 years ago in an under-14 tournament, I haven't forgotten the result either and I had a score to settle here today," Djokovic said with a wry smile in a courtside interview.
"We grew up together and I really wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
"Pressure is part of the game, especially in front of your own fans but it's also a very special feeling to be here and I am looking forward to playing against Janko.
"The most important thing is that Serbia will have one player in the final and may the best player win what should be a very entertaining match," he said.
Djokovic looked sharp in the opening set and won 14 of 16 points on his first serve, getting the crowd on their feet with a reflex volley and some delightful backhand winners. He fired in 18 winners throughout the one-sided contest and appeared to leave a lot in the tank for the showdown with Tipsarevic, who beat India's Somdev Devvarman 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in a rip-roaring contest which lasted 2 hours 38 minutes.
Djokovic won both their previous encounters but Tipsarevic said he was looking forward to facing his Davis Cup teammate, who steered Serbia to its first title in the competition when it edged France 3-2 in the Belgrade Arena last December.
Italian Filippo Volandri brushed aside Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-4 to set up a last-four meeting with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who beat compatriot Albert Montanes 6-4, 6-4.
In Portugal, Juan Martin del Potro beat top-seeded Robin Soderling 6-4, 7-5 on Friday to clinch a place in the Estoril Open semifinals.
The former US Open champion will meet Pablo Cuevas, who defeated sixth-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Belluci 6-4, 6-2. Fourth-seeded Gilles Simon was up 6-5 against fifth-seeded Milos Raonic, while No. 2 Fernando Verdasco lost the first set 7-6 (2) against No. 7 Kevin Anderson before play was suspended.
In Munich, Nikolay Davydenko defeated last year's runner-up Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-5, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the BMW Open. Davydenko will next play Radomir Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who beat 2007 Munich champion Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, 6-4, 6-0.
The 23-year old Serb, who will meet compatriot and close friend Janko Tipsarevic for a berth in today's final, showed some nerves in the second set before he stretched his unbeaten run in 2011 to 26 matches.
Djokovic was 4-1 up when the umpire ordered play to continue despite heavy rain and facing a break point, the home favorite sat down and waited for the slippery lines to be mopped up before he dropped his serve.
But it was only a temporary blip as the winner of this year's Australian Open, Dubai Championships and Master series events in Miami and Indian Wells regained his composure to seal the match in 1 hour 25 minutes.
"I remember very well losing to Kavcic 10 years ago in an under-14 tournament, I haven't forgotten the result either and I had a score to settle here today," Djokovic said with a wry smile in a courtside interview.
"We grew up together and I really wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
"Pressure is part of the game, especially in front of your own fans but it's also a very special feeling to be here and I am looking forward to playing against Janko.
"The most important thing is that Serbia will have one player in the final and may the best player win what should be a very entertaining match," he said.
Djokovic looked sharp in the opening set and won 14 of 16 points on his first serve, getting the crowd on their feet with a reflex volley and some delightful backhand winners. He fired in 18 winners throughout the one-sided contest and appeared to leave a lot in the tank for the showdown with Tipsarevic, who beat India's Somdev Devvarman 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in a rip-roaring contest which lasted 2 hours 38 minutes.
Djokovic won both their previous encounters but Tipsarevic said he was looking forward to facing his Davis Cup teammate, who steered Serbia to its first title in the competition when it edged France 3-2 in the Belgrade Arena last December.
Italian Filippo Volandri brushed aside Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-4 to set up a last-four meeting with Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, who beat compatriot Albert Montanes 6-4, 6-4.
In Portugal, Juan Martin del Potro beat top-seeded Robin Soderling 6-4, 7-5 on Friday to clinch a place in the Estoril Open semifinals.
The former US Open champion will meet Pablo Cuevas, who defeated sixth-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Belluci 6-4, 6-2. Fourth-seeded Gilles Simon was up 6-5 against fifth-seeded Milos Raonic, while No. 2 Fernando Verdasco lost the first set 7-6 (2) against No. 7 Kevin Anderson before play was suspended.
In Munich, Nikolay Davydenko defeated last year's runner-up Marin Cilic of Croatia 7-5, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the BMW Open. Davydenko will next play Radomir Stepanek of the Czech Republic, who beat 2007 Munich champion Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, 6-4, 6-0.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
