Sam Querrey broke top seeded Andy Roddick’s serve twice in the deciding set to stun the defending champion 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 in the quarter-finals of the Memphis Championships on Friday.
Women’s top seed Maria Sharapova advanced to the final by defeating fifth-ranked Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-3.
American world No. 31 Querrey took charge of the deciding set after he battled to deuce in the second game before Roddick double faulted to gift his compatriot a 2-0 lead.
“Today I played one sloppy game in the third set and that was it,” Roddick told reporters.
Querrey consolidated his advantage with another break two games later and eased to victory for the loss of just one more game.
In the opening set, the big serving pair went toe-to-toe until the 11th game when Querrey broke Roddick to forge a 6-5 lead and took the opener in style with his 10th ace.
Roddick built on an early break in the second set to even the contest before Querrey, who sent down 16 aces overall, regrouped in the third to gain revenge for a semi-final defeat to the world No. 7 in San Jose a week ago.
The first set between Sharapova and Kvitova featured five breaks of service, three by Sharapova. And that trend continued into the second as each player broke serve in the first two games.
Sharapova would once again break Kvitova’s serve in the seventh game to take a 5-3 lead, which she would not relinquish.
The Russian was to meet unranked qualifier Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in the final yesterday. Sharapova has won the only previous match between the two.
■OPEN 13
REUTERS, MARSEILLE, FRANCE
Frenchman Michael Llodra made up for a missing out on a wine-tasting evening with friends by stunning top seed Robin Soderling 7-6, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Open 13 on Friday.
World No. 79 Llodra staved off two break points before dominating his Swedish opponent 7-2 in the opening set tiebreak. He then took the only break point he created in the second. Llodra, who lost to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in last year’s final, was set to meet the winner of the game between French wildcard Guillaume Rufin and German Mischa Zverev.
Second-seeded Tsonga easily brushed aside Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko 6-3, 6-4. His win means a Frenchman will be in the final as he will meet the winner of the game between Gael Monfils and Julien Benneteau in the last four.
■DUBAI CHAMPIONSHIPS
REUTERS, DUBAI
Holder Venus Williams ended Shahar Peer’s run by sweeping past the unseeded Israeli 6-1, 6-4 on Friday to reach the final of the Dubai Championships.
The third-seeded American next meets Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who defeated Pole Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-4.
Playing on a side court because of the security concerns that have surrounded Peer all week, Williams quickly stamped her authority on a strangely ineffective opponent who had beaten three seeds on her way to the semi-finals.
Williams broke for a 2-0 lead when Peer made a backhand error and then for 4-0 when the Israeli double-faulted.
An exchange of breaks in the next two games left Williams serving for the set, which she closed out with a beautifully executed forehand winner down the line.
A fourth double-fault gave the American a break for 1-0 in the second set, but Peer hit back to level at 2-2 and then fended off five break points to hold for 3-2.
Even though her reprieve was short, with Williams breaking again to lead 4-3, Peer held five break points to recover the break before the holder held for 5-3.
Peer battled to the end, saving three match points before netting a backhand on the fourth.
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