Federer, Murray, Djokovic crash out
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The world’s top two tennis players, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, both suffered shock defeats on Friday, while Rafael Nadal stormed back to beat longtime rival Roger Federer at the Cincinnati Masters.
World No. 3 Nadal booked a spot in the semifinals by rallying past Federer with the Swiss player saving four match points in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 loss.
The pair have met a total of 31 times, with Nadal winning 21 of those.
“My movement got better, with more intensity,” said Nadal, undefeated on hardcourts in 2013. “I put in more balls on the return, and controlled the baseline, something that didn’t happen the first set and a half.
“The match was very close. I played some good points in important moments.”
Federer suffered only his second loss in the last five editions in Cincinnati.
“Credit to him for hanging in and getting back some tough shots,” said five-time champion Federer, who will fall to seventh in the world as a result of his defeat.
“I have some disappointment, I could have played better late in the second and early in the third. “But my tactics were working most of the time. I served well for most of the match, but when I didn’t he was able to step it up.”
Missed record
World No. 1 Djokovic fell 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-5 to unseeded John Isner as the Serb’s attempt to set another tennis record ended in defeat. Had Djokovic beaten the American he would have kept alive a bid to become the first man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles in his career.
Two-time champion Murray was eliminated 6-3, 6-4 by Tomas Berdych, leaving the Scot to head for New York and his US Open title defense, beginning August 26, with plenty to work on. The second seed fired 10 aces but was betrayed as he missed on all four of his break points. Berdych has now beaten Murray twice this season after beating him in Madrid on clay.
Isner set up a semifinal with 2009 US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro, who beat qualifier Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Del Potro said he won despite dealing with pain in his left wrist. The Argentine missed much of the 2010 season with a wrist problems and remains cautious.
The women’s quarterfinal matches were dominated by world No. 1 Serena Williams, who raced through a 16-minute opening set en route to an easy 6-0, 6-4 win against Romanian Simona Halep.
Williams next plays holder Li Na, after the Chinese fifth seed advanced a day earlier when Agnieszka Radwanska withdrew to attend the funeral of her grandfather in Poland.
Former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic beat Italy’s Roberta Vinci 6-0, 6-4 to reach a fifth semifinal this season. She will next play second seed Victoria Azarenka, who eliminated Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) in a night match.
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