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Djokovic into US Open semis as Tsonga retires

  • Posted: Sep 07, 2016
US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September
Coverage: Live commentary on Radio 5 live sports extra plus live text on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic reached the US Open semi-finals after Jo-Wilfried Tsonga became his third opponent unable to complete a match.

The Serb, 29, led 6-3 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium when French ninth seed Tsonga retired with a left knee injury.

Djokovic has completed just two of five matches in New York, benefiting from a walkover and two retirements.

He will face another Frenchman in the last four after Gael Monfils beat compatriot Lucas Pouille 6-4 6-3 6-3.

Second seed Andy Murray takes on sixth seed Kei Nishikori on Wednesday, before Juan Martin del Potro and Stan Wawrinka play the last of the quarter-finals.

In the women’s draw on Tuesday, Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki beat Anastasija Sevastova 6-0 6-2 in another match marred by injury, with the Latvian severely hampered by a twisted ankle.

Wozniacki won easily to set up a semi-final against German second seed Angelique Kerber, who beat Italy’s Roberta Vinci 7-5 6-0.

Another early night for Djokovic

Djokovic has been struggling with wrist and arm injuries, but there were few signs of vulnerability against Tsonga.

The Serb had won 13 of their last 14 matches, stretching back five years, and once again the Frenchman’s flair and power were no match for the precision of the world number one.

Tsonga had fleeting chances in the first set, missing a backhand on break point in game five and clinching a break when Djokovic snatched at a volley in game seven.

However, the Frenchman had already given up his own serve with three double faults and a wayward backhand, and would make it three breaks in a row to fall 5-3 behind.

Despite some typical flashes of inspiration, Tsonga hit 19 unforced errors and failed to win a point on his second serve as the steadier Djokovic took the opening set in 35 minutes.

Tsonga looked bemused and out of ideas, his predicament worsening when he required a medical timeout for attention to his left knee after falling a double break down in the second set.

Djokovic’s route to the last four
Round one: Djokovic beats Jerzy Janowicz in four sets (2hrs 37mins)
Round two: Djokovic gets a walkover after Jiri Vesely withdraws with a forearm injury
Round three: Djokovic leads 4-2 when Mikhail Youzhny retires with a leg injury (31mins)
Round four: Djokovic beats Kyle Edmund in three sets (1hr 55mins)
Quarter-final: Djokovic leads 6-3 6-2 when Tsonga retires with a knee injury (1hr 21mins)

Djokovic sealed the set with an ace, and with Tsonga unable to push up when serving, the ninth seed approached the net and held out his hand to bring an end to the action after 81 minutes.

“I have to say it again, I really wish Jo a quick recovery,” said Djokovic, who is through to his 10th consecutive semi-final in New York.

“It’s never nice to be on court in the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam and retiring after a few sets. I know Jo well, he’s a fighter, somebody who loves the big stage, and this is something I’m sure he didn’t wish for.”

Monfils dominates in ‘second home’

Pouille made 44 unforced errors as the five-set win over Rafael Nadal appeared to take its toll on the 22-year-old, with Monfils dominating across three sets.

Monfils, 30, maintained his momentum either side of a 15-minute rain delay to secure his first Grand Slam semi-final appearance since the 2008 French Open.

“It’s a court I love,” he told the New York crowd. “I always say that the French is my home, but this one is my second.”

Monfils has yet to drop a set in five matches at Flushing Meadows.

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Monfils Keeps Up Perfect Run Into Semis

  • Posted: Sep 07, 2016

Monfils Keeps Up Perfect Run Into Semis

Frenchman yet to drop a set

Friendships don’t matter when you step onto a tennis court. Lucas Pouille had taken out Rafael Nadal in a dramatic five-set battle in the US Open fourth round. But it came at a price. With Pouille fatigued, his good friend and countryman Gael Monfils showed no mercy, reaching his first US Open semi-final with a resounding 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I’m happy with my performance. I think it is never easy to play a quarter-final against a French guy. I think I handled it pretty good mentally,” Monfils said. “I’m happy with that and where my game is.”

It could be an all-French affair again in the semi-finals, but World No. 1 Novak Djokovic still holds the power to deny a French finalist at Flushing Meadows. The Serbian takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the night session, with the winner to face Monfils in the last four. It is the first time in the Open Era that three Frenchmen have reached the quarter-finals of the same Grand Slam event.

“I think we all work hard, and somehow we make it in the same moment,” Monfils said.

The 10th-seeded Monfils has been untouchable so far in New York. The Frenchman, who celebrated his 30th birthday last week, has won all 15 sets in his campaign and has compiled a 19-2 record on hard courts since Wimbledon.

Working with Mikael Tillstrom this season, Monfils has produced one of his career-best campaigns. The Frenchman is in strong contention to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time after winning his sixth ATP World Tour title in Washington (d. Karlovic) and reaching the finals in Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal) and Rotterdam (l. to Klizan). Monfils is currently eighth in the Emirates ATP Race to London, with the top eight players at the end of the regular season set to compete at The O2.

“My health has been big trouble all my career, and now it is somehow stabilized,” Monfils said. “I think it helps me a lot to be stronger.”

Watch Monfils Uncovered

Monfils is through to his second Grand Slam semi-final after improving to 2-6 in major quarter-finals. Since his first semi-final at Roland Garros eight years ago, the Parisian had suffered six successive defeats at this stage. 

But he was in a ruthless mood as he dismissed Pouille’s challenge in just over two hours. The ailing Pouille desperately searched for the high-quality tennis that saw him topple Nadal two nights earlier, but just came up short. The 23 year old, contesting his second Grand Slam quarter-final of the season, committed 44 unforced errors, compared to only 15 from Monfils, and won just 33 per cent of points behind his second serve.

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US Open: Andy Murray Murray to face Kei Nishikori in quarter-final

  • Posted: Sep 07, 2016
US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September
Coverage: Live commentary on Radio 5 live sports extra plus live text on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Andy Murray will hope to extend an impressive record against sixth seed Kei Nishikori when the pair meet in the US Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Murray, seeded second, has won seven of eight previous matches against Japan’s Nishikori, the most recent being at the Olympic Games last month.

The pair are scheduled second on Arthur Ashe Stadium at around 19:00 BST.

“I’ve played well against him in the past but he likes these conditions,” said Murray.

“I played a really good match against him when we played a few weeks ago. I’m aware I’ll need to do that again if I want to beat him, because he’s one of the best players in the world.”

The winner will face Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro or Swiss third seed Stan Wawrinka, who meet in the night session at about 02:00 on Thursday.

They follow world number one Serena Williams taking on fifth seed Simona Halep at 00:00, with Karolina Pliskova and Ana Konjuh opening Wednesday’s play at 17:00.

Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares take on Australian Chris Guccione and Brazilian Andre Sa in the doubles quarter-finals at 16:00.

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US Open: Angelique Kerber reaches US Open semi-final with win over Roberta Vinci

  • Posted: Sep 06, 2016
US Open
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 29 August-11 September
Coverage: Live commentary on Radio 5 live sports extra plus live text on the big matches on the BBC Sport website and app.

Second seed Angelique Kerber reached the semi-finals of the US Open with a comprehensive straight-set win over Italian Roberta Vinci.

German Kerber, 29, defeated the 2015 finalist 7-5 6-0.

She will now face either Caroline Wozniacki – twice a US Open runner-up – or surprise quarter-finalist Anastasija Sevastova for a place in the final.

Wozniacki will play Sevastova, who knocked out Britain’s Johanna Konta, later on Tuesday.

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Nishikori Reacts To Reaching 2016 US Open QFs

  • Posted: Sep 06, 2016

Nishikori Reacts To Reaching 2016 US Open QFs

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Emirates ATP Rankings 5 September 2016

  • Posted: Sep 06, 2016

Emirates ATP Rankings 5 September 2016

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Davis Cup 2016: GB name five-man squad for semi-final with Argentina

  • Posted: Sep 06, 2016

Holders Great Britain have named a five-man squad for their Davis Cup semi-final with Argentina in Glasgow.

Leon Smith again captains the team and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will be joined by Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, Jamie Murray and Dominic Inglot.

The four players to contest the tie at the Emirates Arena from 16-18 September will be announced on 15 September.

The winners of the tie will face either Croatia or France in the final, which runs from 25-27 November.

Smith, who will also have Liam Broady with him as a non-playing member of the squad, said: “We are leaving no stone unturned in our preparations and I know that our team will give their best effort and fight for every point in this tie.”

He added that it meant a lot to the team to be playing in Glasgow again after winning twice there en route to their Davis Cup triumph last year.

“The venue is full of such positive memories for us all,” said Smith. “The support… it has been just incredible. I can’t wait to hear that again.”

Britain, who beat Belgium in Ghent last year to win the Davis Cup for the first time since 1938, have won only one of their previous four competition encounters with Argentina.

The only South American team in the World Group, Argentina defeated Poland and Italy en route to the last four.

Their team will feature Juan Martin del Potro, the man Murray defeated in last month’s Olympic final in Rio.

Joining Del Potro in the Argentina squad are world number 43 Federico Delbonis, Guido Pella, who is ranked 51, and 117th-ranked Leonardo Mayer.

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Jamie Murray into doubles ATP World Tour Finals

  • Posted: Sep 06, 2016

Britain’s Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares have secured qualification for the ATP World Tour Finals doubles event at the 02 in London in November.

The pair ensured their place by winning their third-round match at the US Open against Brian Baker and Marcus Daniell 6-3 7-6 (9-7).

Murray, who was world doubles number one earlier this year, won the Australian Open with Soares in January.

This year’s event runs from 13-20 November.

Soares and Murray lost in the Wimbledon quarter-finals and went out in the third round at the French Open.

But the pair won the Sydney International before the Australian Open and also reached ATP Tour finals in Monte Carlo and Toronto.

Murray, 30, will be making his second consecutive London appearance.

Last year, he and partner John Peers were eliminated in the group stage.

The tournament sees the top eight ranked pairings split into two groups with the top two from each pool making the semi-finals.

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Justin Gimelstob Previews Top Half US Open 2016 QFs

  • Posted: Sep 06, 2016

Justin Gimelstob Previews Top Half US Open 2016 QFs

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