Three Americans are in the semi-finals of the RCA Championships for the first time since 1992.
Top-seeded James Blake, second-seeded Andy Roddick and defending champion Robby Ginepri all advanced with straight-sets victories on Friday. Ninth-seeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium, who will play Blake in Saturday's semi-finals, also won his quarter-final in two sets.
Blake, who is a career-high sixth in the ATP rankings, had the biggest challenge. He won two tiebreakers to get past 10th-seeded Nicolas Mahut of France 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).
PHOTO: AP
Mahut, ranked No. 70, won the first two points of the second tiebreaker. Blake took the next two points and went on to win the match when his 31st winner hit the backcourt line.
"I can't think of any better ending than that one, anything could happen if I miss that," Blake said. "At 5-6, I knew he was going to go to my backhand, because my forehand return is better."
The last time three Americans were in the semifinals here it was Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Todd Martin.
PHOTO: AFP
"That brings a big smile to my face. That's pretty good company to be in. ... They keep saying US tennis is down, but we had someone in the finals of every event of last year's US Open Series and now we're on the way to doing it again," Blake said.
Roddick defeated 12th-seeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-2, 6-3. Fourth-seeded Ginepri cruised past No. 8 Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-1. Ginepri also beat Paradorn en route to winning the tournament last year.
Malisse advanced with an upset of third-seeded Fernando Gonzalez of Chile 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Roddick, the 2003 and 2004 champion here, had 19 winners and five unforced errors to avenge his upset loss to Muller in the first round of the US Open last year.
"He broke my heart last year," Roddick said.
The former world No. 1 credited Jimmy Connors with helping him prepare for the tournament.
"I feel like I played some good stuff here this week," Roddick said. "Jimmy knows so much about the game. I'm appreciative that he would give me some of his time. It was really good of him."
Roddick, who had the fastest serve of the tournament so far at 233kph, lost six points on his serve. Three of them came on the opening three points of his first service. Roddick then held by winning five consecutive points.
"With the exception of that first service game, I felt I was in every game. I didn't miss a lot of returns. I felt it was a solid effort," he said.
The victory gave Roddick a 15-1 record at Indianapolis. His only loss here was to Ginepri in last year's quarter-finals.
Ginepri lost seven points on his eight service games against Paradorn and was hoping his trip to Indianapolis turns around a season in which he has lost in the first round of 14 tournaments.
Ginepri said he was surprised by the ease of his victory.
"I don't know if he was sick or what," Ginepri said. "He definitely wasn't playing like he can."
DOUBLE: Harry Kane has now netted 12 goals in six games, scoring his second hat-trick this season after Bayern’s opening Bundesliga match against Leipzig last month That man again. Harry Kane scored his second hat-trick of the season on Saturday to steer Bayern Munich to a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim for the best Bundesliga start any team has made after four rounds. The England captain scored before the break and converted two penalties after it to take his club tally to 12 goals in six games across all competitions — 13 goals in seven games including the German Supercup. Kane’s other hat-trick was in the Bundesliga-opening 6-0 rout of Leipzig. Bayern’s record of 12 points with a goal difference of 15-plus is the best after four rounds of the Bundesliga
San Francisco Giants pitcher Teng Kai-wei impressed against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday despite an 8-1 loss in the opener of the team’s nine-game road trip. Teng, the only Taiwanese pitcher active in MLB, struck out five while allowing two hits and one walk over four innings at Chase Field to finish with a no decision, as the teams were tied 1-1 when he finished his outing. He surrendered the lone run of his outing in the bottom of the first, which began with a walk, a hit-by-pitch and two strikeouts. Diamondbacks leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo advanced to third on
Rwanda is to take center stage from today as the first African country to host the cycling world championships, in its latest use of sports to improve the country’s reputation. As it prepares for 5,000 cyclists and 20,000 spectators, Rwanda has spruced up its roads, created a network of cycle lanes and run multiple police drills. A poor, landlocked country in east Africa still widely associated with a horrific genocide in 1994, Rwanda has used various sports to revamp its image, attract tourists and impress investors with its organizational efficiency. It has spent lavishly on soccer sponsorship deals with clubs
New Zealand yesterday basked in “amazing” athletics glory after winning two gold medals in as many days at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Geordie Beamish on Monday claimed New Zealand’s first track gold in history with a shock victory in the 3,000m steeplechase, while high jumper Hamish Kerr followed with gold on Tuesday to make it an unprecedented double success for a country much better known for rugby than its prowess in track and field. Before this week, the country had won only six golds in total at the championships. Yesterday morning New Zealand were in the giddy position of fourth on
RSS