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Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
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Top four into Cincinnati semis
Source: Agencies |
August 23, 2009, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE world's top four players will face off at the Cincinnati Masters as Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic go head-to-head in two mouth-watering semifinals in Mason, Ohio.
Federer and Murray will meet for the ninth time while Nadal and Djokovic will face each other for the 19th time in all and the fifth this year.
It is the first time since the Monte Carlo Open in 2008 and only the 13th time in the past 25 years that the top-four ranked players have made it to the semifinals of a Tour event.
Top seed Federer cruised past former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 6-3, 6-4 while holder Murray rallied to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal saw off big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-5, while Djokovic beat Frenchman Gilles Simon by the same score.
Murray has registered six wins in his eight clashes with Federer.
"He (Murray) has been more or less the best player in the world on hardcourts this year," the Swiss said in a courtside interview. "I know it's going to be a very tough match. I just have to come out with my gameplan and hope it works."
Federer was never troubled by Hewitt, breaking once in each set to record his 200th victory in a Masters Series event.
Briton Murray, chasing back-to-back Masters Series titles after his win in Montreal last week, recovered from a set and 0-2 down to take his winning streak to eight matches.
Benneteau, a lucky loser entrant after the withdrawal of Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, took advantage of a below-par performance from Murray in the first set.
When the Scot dropped his serve in the second game of the second set, he looked in danger of defeat to world No. 55 Benneteau.
53-shot rally
However, an epic 53-shot rally won by Murray changed the match completely and after breaking back, he dropped just two more games.
In Toronto, world No. 2 Serena Williams brushed aside Czech qualifier Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the Rogers Cup on Friday, where she was joined by a trio of Russians.
Williams needed just 57 minutes on a blustery center court to breeze into the last four and set up a mouth-watering Wimbledon rematch with fourth seed Elena Dementieva, while Alisa Kleybanova will meet Maria Sharapova in the other semifinal.
In contrast to Williams's quick-fire win, Dementieva was made to sweat for her spot in the last four, rallying for a 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3 victory over feisty Australian Samantha Stosur.
But no player worked harder for her semifinal place than 36th ranked Kleybanova, who won a riveting three-hour, 16-minute slugfest with fifth-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Former world No. 1 Sharapova downed No. 14 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2, 7-6 (5).
Federer and Murray will meet for the ninth time while Nadal and Djokovic will face each other for the 19th time in all and the fifth this year.
It is the first time since the Monte Carlo Open in 2008 and only the 13th time in the past 25 years that the top-four ranked players have made it to the semifinals of a Tour event.
Top seed Federer cruised past former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 6-3, 6-4 while holder Murray rallied to beat Frenchman Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Nadal saw off big-hitting Czech Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-5, while Djokovic beat Frenchman Gilles Simon by the same score.
Murray has registered six wins in his eight clashes with Federer.
"He (Murray) has been more or less the best player in the world on hardcourts this year," the Swiss said in a courtside interview. "I know it's going to be a very tough match. I just have to come out with my gameplan and hope it works."
Federer was never troubled by Hewitt, breaking once in each set to record his 200th victory in a Masters Series event.
Briton Murray, chasing back-to-back Masters Series titles after his win in Montreal last week, recovered from a set and 0-2 down to take his winning streak to eight matches.
Benneteau, a lucky loser entrant after the withdrawal of Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, took advantage of a below-par performance from Murray in the first set.
When the Scot dropped his serve in the second game of the second set, he looked in danger of defeat to world No. 55 Benneteau.
53-shot rally
However, an epic 53-shot rally won by Murray changed the match completely and after breaking back, he dropped just two more games.
In Toronto, world No. 2 Serena Williams brushed aside Czech qualifier Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the Rogers Cup on Friday, where she was joined by a trio of Russians.
Williams needed just 57 minutes on a blustery center court to breeze into the last four and set up a mouth-watering Wimbledon rematch with fourth seed Elena Dementieva, while Alisa Kleybanova will meet Maria Sharapova in the other semifinal.
In contrast to Williams's quick-fire win, Dementieva was made to sweat for her spot in the last four, rallying for a 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3 victory over feisty Australian Samantha Stosur.
But no player worked harder for her semifinal place than 36th ranked Kleybanova, who won a riveting three-hour, 16-minute slugfest with fifth-seeded Serb Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Former world No. 1 Sharapova downed No. 14 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-2, 7-6 (5).
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