Second-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Samuel Groth of Australia advanced to the semi-finals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships on Thursday.
The 153rd-ranked Groth defeated defending champion Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 6-4, while Karlovic edged Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (7/3), 7-5. The pair are to meet today after inductions for this year’s class into the International Hall of Fame, which is highlighted this year by Lindsay Davenport in the “recent player” category.
The other quarter-final matches were scheduled for yesterday.
Groth broke in a long third game of the second set that lasted 18 points — when Mahut double-faulted — to take control.
After losing three match points in the ninth game, he closed it out with an overhead smash.
In the other match, the 2.10m Karlovic had nine aces and won 39 of his 46 first-serve points to gain his third semi-final this season.
“It was real difficult,” he said. “He was playing real good and keeping the ball low, which I don’t like, and it was real hot today. I’m real happy that it went two sets.”
Karlovic held at love, collecting one ace, to go up 6-5 in the second set. Sela then double-faulted on the seventh point of the next game, setting up match point. On the second serve, Karlovic hit a deep forehand return that Sela backhanded into the top of the net.
The fourth-seeded Mahut made his ninth appearance on Newport’s grass courts, the most of any player in the field. He was denied his 50th career victory on grass.
Mahut, who collected the most grass-court victories on the tour last year with 12, entered the week ranked 59th. He had won seven straight matches at Newport.
MERCEDES CUP
AP, STUTTGART, Germany
Fabio Fognini opened the defense of his Mercedes Cup title by defeating Andrey Golubev 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarter-finals on Thursday.
Fognini saved both break points he faced and broke the world No. 61 Kazakh player once in each set.
The top-seeded Italian is next to face the seventh-seeded Santiago Giraldo of Colombia, who defeated qualifier Philipp Davydenko of Russia 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.
No. 2 seed Mikhail Youzhny eased past Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-1, 6-1. The Russian, who won the tournament in 2002, is next to play the eighth-seeded Argentine Federico Delbonis, who defeated Germany’s Benjamin Becker 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-4.
The third-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain beat Louk Sorensen of Ireland 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 for a quarter-final against compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. The No. 6 seed earlier defeated Swiss qualifier Yann Marti 7-6 (15/13), 7-5.
Another Spaniard, the fourth-seeded Feliciano Lopez, defeated countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 and is to play Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic in the last eight.
Home favorite Philipp Kohlschreiber will not be there. The German defeated compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3 in their rain-postponed first-round match, but later lost 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) to Rosol in the second round.
SWEDISH OPEN
AP, BASTAD, Sweden
Top seed David Ferrer led a trio of Spaniards into the Swedish Open quarter-finals by defeating Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-4, 6-0 on Thursday.
Ferrer, who received a first-round bye, is bidding to win his third Bastad title following wins in 2007 and 2012.
He is next to meet defending champion Carlos Berlocq of Argentina, who defeated qualifier Radu Albot of Moldova 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Third-seeded Fernando Verdasco, the runner-up in Bastad last year, ousted Spanish countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-1, 7-5.
Verdasco is to face another countryman, eighth-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta, in the last eight. Carreno Busta beat Paolo Lorenzi of Italy 6-2, 6-2.
The other quarters feature Joao Sousa against Dusan Lajovic and Pablo Cuevas against Renzo Olivo.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just