By and large the victor of this sporting contest has won it convincingly and I had to go back to the 2008 Masters Cup in Shanghai in November 2008 to find a match that wasn’t won by one or the other player by at least four games. “I hope I can keep it up tomorrow”.
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The top-ranked players at the Western & Southern Open played early Friday.
That price on Federer just has the feel of being a bit short overall, with Murray’s probable fatigue after 29 sets of tennis since Wimbledon, compared to Federer’s half dozen, factored in.
Up next for the world number one will be Ukrainian qualifier Alexandr Dolgopolov, a 6-4 6-2 victor over Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych yesterday.
After Djokovic’s victory, Federer ended Andy Murray’s run of eight straight wins with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) semifinal victory that spanned 97 minutes.
Djokovic began as if he wished he were on the nearby golf course, double-faulting and moving sluggishly to give up his serve in the third game.
“When you’re doing that these courts are fairly quick so I was able to dictate the points”. “In the second set a little less maybe”.
Federer could well have faced another Spaniard in the form of long-time rival Rafael Nadal, but the 14-time Grand Slam champion’s inconsistent form continued.
While the second seed was able to make it all look easy, it was a slog for an exhausted Andy Murray as the third-seeded Montreal title-winner needed a shade under three hours to put down Grigor Dimitrov 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.
Djokovic and Wawrinka will meet for the 22nd time on Friday, but it will be their first clash since the Swiss triumphed at Roland Garros in June.
At the start of the tie-break a poor backhand error from Murray enabled Federer to grab the mini break and move 3-1 up. Asked in his press conference why he performs so well here, he said he wasn’t sure.
“Usually there isn’t a point where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m going to do this, ‘ but today there definitely was”, Williams said.
“I’ve learned that I have a tough mind and I’ve faced a lot of adversity”, she said. “I know it’s only the quarters but I’m playing great tennis”.
Djokovic gained the upper hand in the second set with a break for a 5-3 lead, but Dolgopolov promptly broke back to push the set to a tiebreak in which the Ukrainian led 3-0 and 5-4 before Djokovic managed to level the match at a set apiece.
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Murray will face the victor from a match between second seed and six-time champion Roger Federer and Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, with the Swiss taking an 11-0 head-to-head record into that contest. The Frenchman avoided a clean slate, but Murray clinched the set in just 31 minutes.
