TENNIS – Novak Djokovic fought back from a set down to battle past Ernests Gulbis in three sets with 5-7 7-6 (9-7) 6-1. Djokovic will face Jeremy Chardy who survived seven match points in a thrilling match against John Isner which featured three tie-breaks. Kei Nishikori beat Rafa Nadal setting up a semifinal against Andy Murray who beat defending champion Jo Wilfred Tsonga Diego Sampaolo
Ernests Gulbis got the break in the first set at 5-5 with a down-the line backhand after a 36-shot rally. Gulbis broke serve in the second set as Djokovic committed an unforced error and a double fault but he was broken back with a double fault. The Latvian player saved two points for 3-5. Djokovic earned two set points at 5-4 but on his second chance he sent a forehand volley wide.
Gulbis opened up a 3-0 lead in the tie-break but Djokovic drew level to 3-3. Djokovic had to dig deep in the second set when he was on the brink of a defeat as he had to save two match points in the tie-break of the second set with a forehand winner by Djokovic and a backhand error by Gulbis.
With this win Djokovic has kept his hopes alive to win his fifth Masters 1000 title this season which would equal the record number of wins in a year held in by himself in 2011 and Nadal in 2013. Only Nadal has won more Master 1000 titles than Djokovic (27 for the Spanish star to Nole’s 24).
Gulbis is bouncing back from a difficult season in which he collected just five wins and lost 17 matches, including 12 defeats in first-round matches. The Latvian player reached the quarterfinal in this tournament after beating Dominic Thiem in the first round match where he saved a match point.
“You have to give credit to Gulbis for playing an excellent match. He was always making me play an extra shot and putting an extra shot and putting a lot of pressure on my second serve. I had a lot of chances and closed it out in the end but he had a couple of match points and it would have deserved if he had won the match today”, said Djokovic
Djokovic will take on Frenchman Jeremy Chardy who had to fend off seven match points against John Isner (including five in the second-set tie-break) in a dramatic match decided by three tie-breaks. The Frenchman recovered from a set down to battle past John Isner 6-7 (9-11) 7-6 (15-13) 7-6 (7-4) in a hard-fought match which was delayed by rain by an hour and a half. Chardy won his fourth head-to-head match against Isner
Chardy fended off one set point before converting on his fourth opportunity in the tie-break for 11-9 after a 58-minute battle. The US player saved two break points at the start of the second set before breaking Chardy for 2-1. Isner clinched his next service game before the match was interrupted by rain. As the match resumed after an hour Chardy reeled off three games in a row. The second set came down to the 19-minute tie-break where the Frenchman fought off five match points before clinching the set on his fourth set point. At 13-all Chardy got the decisive mini-break.
Isner managed to save break points to hold his serve for 2-1 but he suffered from a knee injury. He brought up two match points on Chardy’s serve at 6-5 but Chardy saved them before clinching the game with an ace forcing the decider to the third tie-break where he got the crucial mini-break before sealin an epic win on his first match point after three hours and 12 minutes.
“It was a crazy match. We both served well and we both had our chances, so I am happy I won at the end. On those match points I was only thinking about where I wanted to hit my serve or how to play point. Under pressure it’s easy to get nervous and miss if you start thinking about the match point or the break point”, said Chardy
Kei Nishikori beat 2013 Rogers Cup champion and seventh-seeded Rafa Nadal for the first time in eight head-to-head matches with 6-2 6-4 scoreline. Nishikori is continuing his good form of play from last week when he triumphed in Washington DC at the Citi Open. The Japanese star broke serve four times (twice in the first set and twice in the second set) and fended off two of three break points he faced before sealing the win on the second match point. Nishikori has qualified for his fifth Master 1000 semifinal. He will face Andy Murray who beat last year’s Rogers Cup champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-4 in a match which started shortly before midnight. Murray converted on two of his four break point chances (once in each set). Murray broke serve in the third game and held his serve en route to clinching the first set.
Tsonga, who beat Roger Federer in the final of this tournament last year, brought up two break points in the fourth game of the second set at 1-2 but Murray forced the game to deuce with an ace. Murray held his serve before breaking with a lob and never looked back en route to winning the second set.
If Murray reaches the final in the Rogers Cup, he will return to World Number 2 overtaking Roger Federer who skipped this tournament and will return next week in Cincinnati.
Murray beat Nishikori four times in five head-to-head matches. Last May the Scotsman won their previous clash in the Madrid semifinal en route to clinching his first Master 1000 on clay.
“I came up with some good passing shots and that was big difference”, said Murray.
