The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Djokovic falls; Nadal survives a scare

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Djokovic falls; Nadal survives a scare

— PHOTO: AP

BIG WIN: Andy Murray upset Novak Djokovic in the Rogers Cup quarterfinals on Friday.

TORONTO: Defending champion Novak Djokovic lost to Andy Murray in the ATP Rogers Cup quarterfinals but Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal survived a scare to advance here on Friday.

Nadal, in his first tournament since his epic five-set win over Roger Federer at Wimbledon, was pushed by Frenchman Richard Gasquet before rallying to claim a 6-7(12), 6-2, 6-1 victory. The Spaniard will face Murray next for a place in Sunday’s final after the eighth-seeded Briton shocked Djokovic 6-3, 7-6(3).

Good run

Simon, who shocked Federer in the second round, continued his magical hardcourt campaign, outlasting hard-hitting Croatian Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, while Kiefer, seeking his first title in eight years, demolished seventh-seeded American James Blake 6-1, 6-2.

Leander Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy prevailed over Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the super tie-breaker to enter the doubles semifinals.

Paes-Dlouhy, seeded seventh pipped fourth seeded Bhupathi-Knowles 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 in one hour and 15 minutes in the quarterfinals. Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner Knowles were playing their first match of the tournament after getting a bye in the first round and a walkover in the second round.

The Indo-Czech pair did not face a breakpoint in the first set and converted one of the four they got on their opponents’ serve to race away with the first set.

The results: At Toronto: (Rogers Cup): Quarterfinals: Rafael Nadal bt Richard Gasquet 6-7(12), 6-2, 6-1; Andy Murray bt Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-6(3); Nicolas Kiefer bt James Blake 6-1, 6-2; Gilles Simon bt Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles: Quarterfinals: Leander Paes & Lukas Dlouhy bt Mahesh Bhupathi & Mark Knowles 6-4, 3-6, 10-5; Daniel Nestor & Nenand Zimonjic bt Paul-Henri Mathieu & Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(4), 6-4.

At Los Angeles: (East West Bank Classic): Quarterfinals: Flavia Pennetta bt Sybille Bammer Austria 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-1; Dinara Safina bt Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-1; Bethanie Mattek bt Yuan Meng 6-2, 7-5; Jelena Jankovic bt Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-4.

At Portoroz (Slovenia Open): Quarterfinals: Julia Goerges bt Petra Martic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Elena Bovina 6-3, 6-2; Caroline Wozniacki bt Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-1; Sara Errani bt Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 7-5. — Agencies

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