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FRANCE: ’s slips in the quarterfinal match of the tournament against Switzerland’s Wawrinka at the stadium. — AP Wawrinka knocks out fading Federer Tsonga defeats Nishikori for semi spot

PARIS: knocked Roger Remarkably, it was just the third time in his er and do well. I thought he played really first time,” he added. The quarter-final But Tsonga then broke decisively to lead 3- Federer out of the French Open quarter-finals career he had failed to break an opponent’s great tennis today,” said a diplomatic Federer, between Nishikori and Tsonga on the main 1 and took the decider 6-3 to roars of delight yesterday to set up a last-four clash with in a match-the last came who admitted his opponent handled the Court lasted three and three from the partisan crowd. “It was tough. I start- home hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. against at the 2002 US Open blustery conditions far better. quarter hours as Tsonga raced into a two-set ed really well and then there was this little Wawrinka, the eighth seed, beat his more when he was just 21 and had not yet won a “It was tough so it’s all the more impressive lead before pegged back and forced all the incident. I heard there were no serious illustrious Swiss compatriot Federer in three major. the way Stan was able to play.” Wawrinka was way to a decider. Tsonga took the first set and injuries so I’m happy about that. I served very, sets 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). Fourteenth seed It is a further sign of the decline of the 33- the junior champion at Roland Garros in 2003 then had four set points on Nishikori’s serve very well in the fifth set and managed to turn Tsonga, meanwhile, was taken to five sets by year-old, who was also beaten in the third but is now through to the semi-finals of the at 5-1 in the second. the situation back in my favor,” said Tsonga, Japanese fifth seed before pre- round of the earlier this year main draw for the first time. “Today was my However, last year’s US Open runner-up who is through to a second French Open vailing 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3. by ’s . best match on clay and it’s an incredible fended them off to keep the set alive and the semi-final in three years. Federer, the second seed and 2009 cham- Federer’s last Grand Slam title was almost moment for me. The conditions were difficult match was then delayed for more than half The standout quarter-final on Wednesday pion at Roland Garros, had only ever lost three years ago when he captured his sev- with a lot of wind but I believed in my game an hour when a metal sheet from a giant will see reigning champion , twice in 18 previous meetings with Wawrinka enth Wimbledon crown in 2012. Wawrinka and it was a really incredible match from me,” video screen was blown off in high winds, seeded six, put his dominance of the clay- but was well beaten on a windy Court broke decisively in the first set and then twice he said. The 2014 Australian Open champion’s crashing into spectators and leaving three court Grand Slam on the line against world . more in the second. There were no breaks in a run in comes after he beat Rafael Nadal with minor injuries. number one . The 17-time Grand Slam champion proved tighter third set, but Wawrinka won it on his in Rome recently before losing to Federer in Although Tsonga returned to serve suc- The winner of that will take on the winner incapable of breaking his opponent’s serve at second match in the tiebreak. the semi-finals. cessfully for the second set, the pause clearly of the other last-eight match between third all over the course of a match that lasted two “We know Stan can do this and it’s for “I’m playing good tennis and I’m really affected him and Nishikori fought back to seed and seventh seed David hours and nine minutes. him and important for him to string it togeth- pleased to be in the Paris semi-finals for the square the match. Ferrer, the runner-up in 2013.— AFP Ivanovic, Safarova into Federer clings onto French Open semi-finals Wimbledon lifeline PARIS: and Lucie Safarova will Ivanovic was rewarded for her positive PARIS: Roger Federer surveyed the wreck- “I am already thinking about Wimbledon clash for a place in the French Open final after approach on Court Philippe Chatrier, her 37 age of another French Open yesterday and because it’s a big goal for the season,” said comfortably defeating younger rivals at a winners to just eight for Svitolina telling its insisted he can bounce back by becoming Federer after his 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) loss to windswept Roland Garros yesterday. own tale. the oldest man to win Wimbledon. Wawrinka, just his third in 19 career match- Ivanovic reached her first Grand Slam semi- Out on Court Suzanne Lenglen, Czech left- The 17-time Grand Slam winner was es with his and Olympic gold final in seven years when she beat Ukraine’s hander Safarova, 28, followed-up her fourth- knocked out of Roland Garros in the quar- medal-winning compatriot. 6-3, 6-2 while Safarova booked round defeat of world number two and ter-finals in straight sets by Swiss compa- “That’s where I want to play my best. a place in the French Open last four for the defending champion with a triot Stan Wawrinka-it was the first time in This year is a bit different as we have an first time by seeing off Garbine Muguruza 7-6 straight sets beating of 21-year-old Muguruza. 13 years he had failed to break serve in a extra week to prepare but there is nothing (7/3), 6-3. Safarova will be playing in her second career match at a major. It was a depressing sta- positive about losing today because I Serb seventh seed Ivanovic, 27, last made Grand Slam semi-final after making the last tistic for a man getting used to being con- don’t need the extra days. the semi-finals of a major on her way to her four at Wimbledon in 2014. fronted with the numbers game. “I will recover and spend time with my only Grand Slam title in Paris in 2008. It will be “It’s amazing to be in the semi-finals,” said Federer will be 34 in August-the oldest family, then look forward to Halle and her fifth last-four appearance at a major fol- Safarova who will hope to go on and become man to win Wimbledon in the modern era Wimbledon. It’s a big goal. I want to win it lowing similar runs to the 2007 and 2008 the first left-hander to win the title in Paris was who was 31 years and 11 and I feel like my game is good. It’s been semi-finals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon in since in 1992. months when he triumphed at the All solid, it’s been positive and I have just got 2007 and the Australian Open in 2008. “It’s hard to explain my feelings....wow! I am England Club in 1975. to keep it up.” However, the fate of his con- “I don’t know whether to feel happy or old,” excited and ready to face Ana.” Safarova holds He is likely to finish his career with just temporaries at the majors will be a con- said Ivanovic, who has now won all her seven a 5-3 career lead over Ivanovic with a win one French Open title from 2009 at Roland cern. meetings against Svitolina, seven years her apiece on clay. Garros, the scene of his least successful His great hero won the junior. Ivanovic won on the way to her 2008 title in Grand Slam performances. last of his Wimbledon titles as a 28-year- “It was very tough to play today. The wind Paris while Safarova gained revenge at the The world number two won the last of old in 2000 while was aged was really strong and the ball was bouncing tournament last year. Yesterday, she mastered his 17 majors at Wimbledon in 2012 and in 32 and 11 months when he captured his all over the place so I just needed to stay calm the stiff winds better than 21-year-old the three years since, he has only contest- seventh and last Grand Slam in Australia in and use my feet more.” Muguruza who also made the quarter-finals ed one Grand Slam final-finishing as run- 2003. Sampras’s last Wimbledon in 2002 Ivanovic and Svitolina, who was bidding to last year, beating on the way. ner-up to Novak Djokovic last year in saw him defeated in the second round by London. It’s a far cry from the golden days Switzerland’s , the world become the first Ukrainian woman to reach Muguruza survived a 10-minute seventh of 2003-2010 when he never went a year number 145. the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, exchanged game in the opening set, saving four break without winning at least one major. Agassi’s life in the majors ended in the breaks in the second and third games of the points before Safarova swept through the Since his runner-up spot at Wimbledon third round of the US Open in 2003 with opening set. tiebreak. in 2014, Federer has been a semi-finalist at German world number 132 Benjamin But the vastly more experienced Serb, A crucial break in the sixth game of the sec- the US Open where he lost to Marin Cilic Becker applying the fatal blow. But watched from the stands by German World ond set was enough to put the veteran Czech, before being ousted in the third round in Federer has been down this road before. Cup-winning boyfriend Bastian playing her 11th Roland Garros, on the way to Australia in January by Italian journeyman In the French Open final in 2008, Rafael Schweinsteiger, broke again for 3-1 to lay the the semi-finals. Andreas Seppi. Nadal allowed him just four games in his foundation for clinching the first set. The other quarter-finals take place on That was Federer’s earliest loss in worst Grand Slam humbling. But he recov- Breaks in the first and seventh games of the Wednesday when two-time champion : ’s Ana Ivanovic clenches her Melbourne in 14 years. At least yesterday’s ered from what could have been a shatter- second helped Ivanovic into a comfortable 5-2 Williams tackles Italy’s , the 2012 fist after scoring a point as she plays quarter-final exit to Wawrinka was an ing loss to win the 2008 US Open, 2009 lead and despite double-faulting on her sec- runner-up, and Swiss 23rd seed Timea Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina during their quar- improvement on last year’s Roland Garros French Open, 2009 Wimbledon, the ond match point, she sealed victory on her Bacsinszky faces unseeded Belgian Alison Van terfinal match of the French Open tennis performance-a fourth-round loss to Australian Open in 2010 and Wimbledon third with a sweeping winner. Uytvanck. —AFP tournament. — AP . again in 2012. — AFP