Novak Djokovic advanced to the semifinals of the ATP Dubai Duty Free tennis championships more quickly than he would have wished when his opponent, Mikhail Youzhny, was taken ill and withdrew on Thursday.
The sixth-seeded Russian had twice reached the final in Dubai and would have provided a good test for the six-time Grand Slam champion from Serbia, and Djokovic would certainly have preferred to experience that.
Greatest gain Djokovic’s greatest gain so far has possibly been the working relationship between his long-time coach Marian Vajda, and his new coaching consultant, Boris Becker, the six time former Grand Slam winner from Germany.
Later, Djokovic was joined in the semifinals by Roger Federer, who took out Lukas Rosol for the loss of only four games.
and Philipp Kohlschreiber, the sixth-seeded German who capitalised on the withdrawal of the injured second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro by winning 6-2, 6-3 against Malek Jaziri, the wild card from Tunisia.
In doubles, Rohan Bopanna and Aisam Qureshi beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Denis Istomin 5-7, 7-6(3), 10-7.
The results:At Dubai: ATP Dubai Duty Free championships: Quarterfinals: Novak Djokovic w/o Mikhail Youzhny; Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-3; Tomas Berdych bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-3; Roger Federer bt Lukas Rosol 6-2, 6-2. Second round: Djokovic bt Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-3.
Doubles: Second round: Rohan Bopanna & Aisam Qureshi bt Mahesh Bhupathi & Denis Istomin 5-7, 7-6(3), 10-7.
At Sao Paulo:ATP Brazil Open: Second round: Albert Montanes bt Joao Souza 6-4, 2-3 (retd.); Horacio Zeballos bt Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4; Federico Del Bonis bt Nicolas Almagro 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Tommy Haas bt Potito Starace 7-6(2), 6-3.
At Acapulco: ATP/WTA Acapulco Open: Men: Second round: David Ferrer bt Feliciano Lopez 7-6(1), 6-2; Kevin Anderson bt Sam Querrey 7-6(2), 6-4; Ivo Karlovic bt Dudi Sela 7-6(4), 6-2; Aleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. bt Jeromy Chardy 6-3, 6-4; Ernests Gulbis bt David Goffin 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(5); Grigor Dimitrov bt Marcos Baghdatis 6-1, 6-4; Gilles Simon bt Donald Young 6-4, 6-3; Andy Murray bt Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-4.
Women: Second round: Dominika Cibulkova bt Yanina Wickmayer 7-5, 6-2; Marina Erakovic bt Bojana Jovanovski 6-1, 6-4; Ajla Tomljanovic bt Victoria Duval 6-3, 6-0; Shuai Zhang bt Aleksandra Wozniak 6-1, 6-4; Christina McHale bt Kimiko Date-Krumm 7-5, 6-1; Kaia Kanepi bt Julia Goerges 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(6)
