Sports FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2014

Del Potro in semis, Ferrer scrapes all over for Kvitova past Garcia-Lopez AUCKLAND: Top seed David Ferrer snuffed out a deter- MELBOURNE: Juan Martin del Potro contin- mined challenge from fellow Spaniard Guillermo Garcia- ued his encouraging buildup to the Lopez yesterday to reach the semi-finals of the Auckland by reaching the semi-finals Open. American John Isner, seeded third, also advanced of the Sydney International yesterday, but into the final four, along with Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun and women’s contender Petra Kvitova was Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain. stunned by a Bulgarian qualifier in the last World number three Ferrer, who is seeking a record fifth four. World number five Del Potro was title in the warm-up event for this month’s Australian Open, dragged into a scrap by Radek Stepanek and looked to be cruising to victory as he took the first set 6-3, needed to recover from a mid-match melt- then broke Garcia-Lopez in the first game of the second. down before fending off the Czech veteran 6- But his countryman, ranked 58 in the world, held on 4 3-6 6-3 to set up a clash with 2008 champi- stubbornly and snatched two service games off Ferrer late on Dmitry Tursunov. in the set to win it 7-5 and force a decider. Mixing patchy phases with occasional The pair exchanged breaks again in the third set but flashes of brilliance, the 2009 US Open cham- Ferrer, covering every inch of the court, was able to gain an pion appeared close to losing his cool at advantage and close it out 6-4. times and joked that only his shortage of rac- “He played unbelievable tennis. I’m very tired now,” said quets had prevented him from slamming the 31-year-old, who will meet Lu in the semis after the one into the hardcourt in frustration. Del Taiwanese world number 62 defeated American Steve Potro has stuck to his older-generation Johnson 6-4, 6-4. Isner, a winner in Auckland in 2010, Wilson racquets religiously but has only two emerged victorious from a ferocious arm wrestle with fifth left, and is reluctant to change to a new one seed Phillipp Kohlschreiber of Germany which did not pro- before the year’s first . duce a single service break. The pair matched each other Fiery Cypriot famously blow-for-blow over two hours 25 minutes of play, Isner destroyed four of his racquets during a loss SYDNEY: Angelique Kerber of Germany hits a return during her semi-final sin- finally edging ahead to win 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5). against Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2012 gles match against Madison Keys of the US at the APIA Sydney International The lanky American, who was nursing a sore ankle late in Australian Open, and Del Potro said he had tennis tournament. — AFP the match, said he was fortunate to prevail in a contest that been similarly tempted when struggling Kvitova was relaxed about her 6-4 6-3 loss Melbourne, world number seven Tomas could have gone either way. “I was up against a gutsy oppo- against Stepanek. “Yeah, I was close, but I three days ahead of the start at Melbourne Berdych advanced to Saturday’s final in the nent so I knew I have to give it everything I had,” he said. can’t do that yet. When I get eight or ten rac- Park. “I think the matches I played were great, invitational Kooyong Classic with a 6-4 6-1 vic- “It wasn’t necessarily pretty for either of us but when quets, I will smash all of them,” he quipped to and I have three under my belt,” the Czech tory over Japan’s top-ranked . you’re playing guys as good as him it comes down to a reporters. Defending champion Bernard world number six said. “So I think it’s really Berdych will play the winner of an all-French point here and there. I got a bit lucky today.” Tomic strolled past 6-4 good to have this record coming to Australian semi-final on Friday between Richard Gasquet Isner’s semi-final opponent is Bautista Agut, who beat 6-3 and will meet another Ukrainian in Sergiy Open.” Pironkova, a one-time Wimbledon and Gilles Simon.Thirteen proved an unlucky American 6-1, 6-3 in a stop-start match hit by rain Stakhovsky in the other semi-final. semi-finalist, is the first qualifier to reach the seeding in Melbourne for a second year in a interruptions. “It’s not easy when you stop and get cold then Despite crashing out of the semi-finals to Sydney final and will battle German row as Spaniard Nicolas Almagro was forced start again,” the Spaniard said. “But I kept focus all the match 107th ranked Tsvetana Pironkova, second Angelique Kerber, who swatted aside to pull out of the year’s first grand slam with a and played good, that’s what got me through.” — AFP seed and former Wimbledon champion Madison Keys in straight sets, for the title. In shoulder injury.—Reuters Djokovic seeks ‘mental edge’

MELBOURNE: Boris Becker’s first priority will be to help tion tournament in Abu Dhabi. But he was pleased to get range, racing away in the second to close out the match in 67 gain a “mental edge” when the pressure rises back in front of an appreciative Melbourne audience, clown- minutes. “It’s great to be back, I love Australia, I love coming at the grand slams, the Australian Open champion said in ing around with a TV camera before his match with Monaco back here. I miss it,” he said. “You don’t get (ranking) points Melbourne yesterday. and raising cat-calls from the crowd when he turned a regula- and it doesn’t really count winning or losing the match (here) Djokovic, who will bid for a fourth straight title at tion shirt change into a playful strip-tease. but of course you want to win, especially when so many peo- when the tournament gets underway on After a scratchy opening set, Djokovic quickly found his ple are coming.” — Reuters Monday, announced last month he had hired the six-times grand slam-winning German to be his head coach. The 46-year-old Becker was a keen observer at the invita- tional Kooyong Classic, where Djokovic prepared for the heat of the year’s first grand slam with a 7-5 6-1 exhibition victory over Argentine world number 42 Juan Monaco played out in steamy conditions. “I’m really glad and honored to have Boris in our team as my head coach,” Djokovic said in a courtside interview after the sweaty contest at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, a for- mer host venue of the Australian Open until 1987. “I sincerely hope he can bring that mental edge because he recognises the situations that one top player is facing, especially during the grand slams and the pressures and expectations, and the clutch moments. “That’s what we’re hoping to work on and improve the most. And of course a couple of other elements of my game. I can never serve as well as he did, but I can just hope to improve.” Becker’s appointment follows world number four Andy Murray’s successful partnership with Ivan Lendl, who helped the Briton break through with wins at the 2012 US Open and last year’s Wimbledon after losses in his first four grand slam finals. ’s hiring of Swede Stefan Edberg, also announced last month, means Rod Laver Arena will have no shortage of 1980s legends in the players’ box in the coming weeks. After working hard late in the season to take Serbia to the Davis Cup final, Djokovic has had a low-profile buildup, shunning the season-opening events after playing an exhibi- Novak Djokovic of Serbia