Raonic Outlasts Querrey, to Face Del Potro in Semis
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SPORTS Sunday, March 18, 2018 23 Osaka stuns Raonic Halep as rising stars reach final Indian Wells outlasts apan’s Naomi Osaka made short work of a subdued world Jnumber one Simona Halep on Friday, the unseeded 20-year-old racing to a 6-3 6-0 semi-final victory to set up a surprise BNP Querrey, Paribas Open final against Daria Kasatkina. The Russian, also 20, continued her sparkling run of form earlier in the evening when she to face outlasted American veteran Venus Williams in a three-set slugfest lasting almost three hours. Osaka’s defeat of the top- seeded Halep stood out as Del Potro the bigger of the two upsets, which played out under the lights on a chilly night in the California desert city of Indian Milos Raonic (CAN) during his Wells. quarterfinal match against Sam Querrey The Romanian had won all (not pictured) in the BNP Paribas Open three of her previous meetings in semis at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden with the emerging Japanese Indian Wells attacking the net against Querrey, who rediscovered his punishing forehand in player and looked poised to ilos Raonic overcame his was playing in his first Masters 1000 the final two sets of his match against make a run to reclaim the title frustrations to outlast Sam quarter-final. Kohlschreiber and let out a loud roar she won in 2015, but instead put QuerreyM and advance to the BNP The Canadian won 17 of the first set’s when the German sent the Argentine’s in a puzzling performance full Paribas Open semi-finals with a 7-5 2-6 final 21 points, including two breaks of serve out on match point. of uncharacteristic errors and 6-3 victory on Friday while Juan Martin serve, to take the set after Querrey had Both players served well, each putting little fight. Del Potro found his form late to down led 5-4. more than two-thirds of their first serves The match started as a Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6 6-3 6-4. The American broke twice in the into play, but Del Potro won 75 percent cagey affair until it reached Clearly unhappy at times with his second set before Raonic came through of his first service points compared to 3-3 in the opening set play, the Canadian Raonic won the final in the third. just 65 per cent for Kohlschreiber. before Halep’s game three games of the third set to return to “Sometimes they (his emotions) have “He is a very smart guy, his game unraveled as she the Indian Wells semis for the third time taken me for a ride, they have cost is so good and he made me run a lot coughed up a litany Naomi Osaka in four years. me matches, but I have also been cost so my legs are completely tired,” the of errors, paving (JPN) during her Raonic, 2016 Wimbledon runner- matches by holding it in,” Raonic said in 29-year-old Del Potro said in a courtside the way for Osaka semifinal against up, broke American Querrey for a 5-3 a courtside interview. interview. to reel off the Simona Halep (not advantage, then salvaged a tense final “So sometimes it is good to get them “I got lucky in the end of the match, next nine games pictured) in the BNP game in which Querrey had three break out and try to express energy in the right I played well in the important moments without much Paribas Open at the points. way.” and I’m so glad to be back in the semi- resistance. Indian Wells Tennis The Canadian’s win sets up a semi- Although he fired 17 aces and won finals.” “It wasn’t Garden final clash with Del Potro on Saturday 74 percent of his first-service points, the Del Potro will battle Raonic in the easy,” Osaka said that will pit power against power. Canadian said he needed to improve. semi-final on Saturday, with the player in a courtside World number one Roger Federer “I’ve got to serve better,” he said. best able to handle their opponent’s interview. “I was will meet Borna Coric in the other semi- “That’s my best thing and I’ve got to step booming serve the most likely to prevail. really stressed out the entire time final on Saturday. up and I’ve got to do what I do well.” Raonic has won two of their three but I am really happy I could end it fast.” After a slow start to his season head-to-head meetings including a Halep offered few excuses for her baffling display but felt following a calf injury last year, Raonic Del Potro roars back straight sets win in the Delray Beach that the long wait to get on court had not helped her cause. prevailed by serve-volleying and After a sluggish start, Del Potro Open semi-finals last year. (Reuters) (Reuters) Kasatkina ousts Williams to reach semi-finals Indian Wells Simona Halep or Japan’s Naomi the third set as Williams was left 45-30, and broke Kasatkina six ussian Daria Kasatkina Osaka in Sunday’s final. breathing heavily on her chair times but she also made five toppled her third top-10 Serving for the match, after holding serve in the ninth double faults -- some at crucial playerR in a row Friday to reach Kasatkina clinched the victory game to take a 5-4 lead. moments in the match. the WTA Indian Wells final, on her second match point as Williams, who was winning “Anyone who gets used to shocking world number eight she raced out to a 40-0 lead. matches in Indian Wells before losses should give up on life,” Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. Venus hit a cross-court forehand Kasatkina was even born, has Williams said. The 20-year-old Kasatkina winner on the first match point enjoyed a longevity in tennis Kasatkina continues her rallied to claim the biggest but then dumped a backhand that is rarely achieved. But in the Cinderella run through the victory of her career and defeat into the net to end the two hour, end she didn’t have the legs to California desert tournament as seven-time Grand Slam winner 49 minute marathon showdown. stay with the rising Russian star, she goes for her second WTA Williams, extending a year-long Ultimately the young Russian who won the final three games. title. assault on top players, Grand proved to be too strong for Kasatkina fired one ace, hit She highlighted 2017 by Daria Kasatkina rallied to claim the biggest Slam winners and former world the 37-year-old Williams, who five double faults and broke claiming her first crown in victory of her career and defeat seven-time number ones. appeared to hit a wall at about Williams’s serve seven times in Charleston, beating fellow Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, extending a Kasatkina, seeded 20th, next the two and a half hour mark. the entertaining match. teenager Jelena Ostapenko in year-long assault on top players faces either world number one The turning point came in Williams hit more winners, the final. (AFP) .