Kvitova, Bouchard in Final

SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2014 Murray sees off Lacko SHENZEN: Andy Murray moved a step closer to his first title in more than a year with a 6-3 7-5 defeat of Slovakian Lukas Lacko to reach the semi-finals of the Shenzen Open yesterday. The Briton, trophy-less since winning Wimbledon last year, eased past the world number 85 to set up a clash with Argentina’s Juan Monaco who earlier ousted French third seed Richard Gasquet 7-6(7) 6-4. Murray is facing a battle to qualify for the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals and needs a healthy haul of points from his remaining events this year to make the eight-man London finale. His cause was boosted earlier in the week when Spain’s David Ferrer, one of the players he is vying with for one of WUHAN: Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic reaches for a return during her semi-final win over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine at the Wuhan Open the five remaining slots, crashed out tennis tournament. — AFP early. Murray, ranked 11th in the ATP world rankings and also in the Race standings, Kvitova, Bouchard in final took a wildcard to compete in Shenzen and it could prove a fruitful decision WUHAN: Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard will evaporated when Kvitova took two quick points to Wuhan, beat eighth-seeded Wozniacki in their seeing as he is now clear favourite to play a rematch of their Wimbledon final when they win the match. The Ukrainian had shown great semi-final match 6-2, 6-3. land the indoor title. Should he win the meet in the climax of the $2.4 million WTA Wuhan determination in Wuhan, winning sets after coming Both players-who are also chasing points to title he would move to 10th in the Open after winning their semi-finals yesterday. back from 5-0 down against German Sabine Lisicki make the WTA Finals-played an aggressive game. standings but would still need to over- World number three Kvitova is vying for her in the second round and 4-1 down against world Wozniacki appeared to have sustained a minor haul the likes of Canadian Milos Raonic third title of the year and will seal a place in the end number eight Angelique Kerber in the quarters. hamstring injury which she received treatment for and Czech Tomas Berdych, as well as of season championships in Singapore if she wins But Kvitova proved to be a step too far for the in the fourth game of the second set. The first break Ferrer, to make sure of appearing at the the final of the inaugural tournament. 20-year-old. Kvitova will join the top eight players point of the set came two games later, which year-ender. The Czech advanced in the semis at the for the Singapore finale if she wins in Wuhan. Those Bouchard survived, and the Canadian then broke Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer expense of Elina Svitolina, who put in another feisty who have already made it to the WTA Finals include Wozniacki to make it 4-3 before going on to clinch and Rafa Nadal have already booked performance which defied her lowly 34th place in world number one Serena Williams, Maria the match. their London tickets with Australian the rankings. Kvitova broke serve in the sixth game Sharapova (4) and Simona Halep (2). “I think I played very well aggressively, and it Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka, U.S. to lead 4-2 in the first set, and maintained her two was all about trying to maintain it,” Bouchard said, Open winner Marin Cilic and Japan’s game advantage to finish the opener 6-4. ‘IT FEELS GOOD’ “Of course I expected some resistance, and she def- Kei Nishikori well on the way to join- The pair traded breaks in the second set and The 24-year-old will meet world number nine initely, you know, made me fight for each point. ing them, leaving a fight for the two were 5-5 until Kvitova raced through the 11th Bouchard in Wuhan for a replay of their Wimbledon “But I was happy with the way I was serving and remaining places. The other semi- game to serve for the match. She appeared to be final, which Kvitova won convincingly 6-3, 6-0. stepping in and the way I kind of regathered my final in Shenzen will be between poised for a straightforward win with the comfort Kvitova has also won in New Haven last month, her concentration. “So, yeah, I feel like I was very, very Spain’s Tommy Robredo, who beat of two match points at 40-15, but Svitolina set up a second title of the 2013 season. “It feels good, for good, maybe up there with Wimbledon, maybe bet- Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3, tense end to the match by clawing herself level and sure... I’m glad that I’m in the final again,” she said ter. It’s hard to put it in a ranking with other specific and Colombian Santiago Giraldo who then forcing a double fault from Kvitova which after defeating Svitolina. matches, but I’m feeling good on the court.” The beat Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in straight gave her break point. But any hopes Svitolina had “Today I think it was really great match. I mean, I Wuhan Open, in the central province of Hubei fea- sets. — Reuters that her opponent would lose the coolness that has felt pretty well and we had great tennis out there I tures the world’s top 20 women players, with the been the trademark of her march into the semis think.” Canadian Bouchard, the sixth seed in exception of recently-retired local hero Li Na. —AFP Nishikori cruises into semis KUALA LUMPUR: Kei Nishikori eased into the semifinals of the number one Novak Djokovic in his wake as he became the first Malaysian Open by sinking Australia’s Marinko Matosevic 6-3, Asian man to make a Grand Slam singles final. 6-0 on Friday without moving past first gear. The top seed said he was expecting a tougher battle Japan’s rising tennis star was in his element in the first set, Saturday against Jarkko Nieminen. The Finn, who ranks 57th in twice breaking Matosevic in the fifth and ninth game, firing the world, beat seventh seeded Pablo Andujar 6-3, 6-4. The four aces in the process to seal a 6-3 win. Spaniard ranks 45th. “He’s definitely a tough player. He has In the second, the 24-year-old crushed the 78th ranked very good groundstrokes and has been playing really well. I Matosevic in just under 30-minutes with some captivating don’t think I’ve played him before, so I am expecting it to be play, including his ferocious forehand returns-much to the close tomorrow,” Nishikori said. delight of the 2,000-strong crowd gathered at the Putra The understudy of American former tennis star-turned- Stadium in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. coach Michael Chang said he felt encouraged by the support Even Nishikori appeared surprised with the easy victory. “I from locals and Japanese alike. was expecting a tough match actually. He beat Nick (Kyrgios “Even here there is a lot of support from the fans and some of Australia) and Go (Soeda of Japan) and was playing really Japanese who have come to support (me) so it’s great for me,” well,” he said. “But I have been playing well too, and he was he said. Also on Friday, second seed Ernests Gulbis moved on struggling in the second set so I tried to raise my game level to the semifinals after a straightforward 6-3, 7-5 victory over and finish the game early.” Germany’s Benjamin Becker. “I am trying to play an aggressive game, especially on this The Latvian, who cut an edgy figure in his three-set victory court because the ball movement is slow, so I try to take the over Philipp Petzschner in the second round, will face a litmus returns as early as possible.” test against Julien Benneteau. The world’s eighth ranked player has looked at ease in this The French fourth seed beat Uruguay’s fifth seeded Pablo tournament, despite earlier saying he was drained after his Cuevas 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 in a 139-minute battle, sharpening MALAYSIA: Kei Nishikori of Japan returns a shot against recent defeat in the US Open. his assault on a first Malaysian Open title after having finished Marinko Matosevic of Australia in the men’s singles quarter- His run in that tournament left victims including world as runner-up in 2012 and 2013. — AFP final at the ATP Malaysia Open tennis tournament. — AFP.

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