Djokovic moved into a semifinal match against fourth-seeded David Ferrer, who beat wild-card entry Lu Yen-hsun 6-3, 6-1 to join fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the last four.
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BEIJING (AP) – It’s Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) against Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL’) in Sunday’s China Open final.
Fognini bravely saved two match points in the next game and a further one as Nadal served for the match at 5-3, but the 14-time grand slam champion was not to be denied, closing it out in one hour 45 minutes.
While Nadal should be encouraged reaching his first hard-court final since falling to Djokovic in the 2014 Miami final, the top seed’s skill stretching the Spaniard and firing the kill shot must have been demoralizing.
Djokovic is looking to win the Beijing crown for the sixth time, following victories in 2009-10 and 2012-14. So seriously, I am happy the way I played.
“Every time I get to play him is another challenge, he is the player I’ve played the most in my career”.
In the women’s final, Wimbledon runner-up Garbine Muguruza captured her second career WTA Tour title at the China Open on Sunday, rallying in both sets to defeat Timea Bacsinszky 7-5, 6-4. Tomas Berdych won the tournament in 2011, which allowed him to break the World No 1’s streak, who has made it to yet another final.
For while the words of his compatriots will be music to Nadal’s ears, reaching the Beijing final over Fognini is just the latest step on the tough 2015 road back to his best. “But I think I played well”, Nadal said.
“It’s always a pleasure to play against him on a big stage”.
Nadal signalled his intention to compete with his next serve, holding for the first time, before firing a brilliant victor as Djokovic held his next service game. I know this year Novak, as I say ahead of, is a various league of my a single.
Despite this being the best of all of Djokovic’s 22 victories against Nadal in terms of games conceded, the Serbian insisted afterwards that it was closer than the score suggested and backed Nadal to bounce back after his Grand Slam-less year.
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From there, the writing was on the wall as the sport’s best player clamped down on proceedings.
