Sergiy Stakhovsky did double duty on Thursday, but he didn’t look tired as he toppled top-seeded Marcos Baghdtis reach the semi-finals of the Pilot Pen hardcourt tennis tournament.
Ukraine’s Stakhovsky rallied to beat Baghdatis 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), keeping the top seed moving with a mix of slices and drop shots.
“I had to make a lot of sprints, you know,” Baghdatis said. “I felt my legs a bit tired after. I couldn’t be 100 percent.”
PHOTO: AFP
Stakhovsky had reason to be tired as well.
His first-round match on Tuesday was suspended by darkness and completed on Wednesday. He started his third-round match on Wednesday night, but that too was suspended by rain in a first-set tiebreaker.
Stakhovsky came back early on Thursday to complete a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over Spain’s Tommy Robredo.
“I don’t need a hotel,” Stakhovsky quipped. “I could sleep in the lounge.”
Next up for Stakhovsky was Thiemo de Bakker of the Netherlands, who beat Evgeny Korolev of Kazakhstan, 6-4, 6-3.
Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan was due to play Serbian Viktor Troicki in yesterday’s other semi-final.
Troicki beat Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3, while Istomin beat Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (10/8).
A trio of Russians reached the women’s semi-finals, along with top-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki.
Wozniacki made it through without even taking the court when scheduled opponent Flavia Pennetta of Italy withdrew with a right foot injury.
“I never like to withdraw, but my foot has been bothering me since last week and I knew that I would not be able to finish the match, so I decided to pull out and not risk any further damage,” Pennetta said.
Wozniacki, who played two matches on Monday to win in rain-disrupted Montreal before playing in New Haven on Wednesday, said she was happy to get the night off.
“I can relax a little bit,” she said. “I can come back tomorrow strong and rested.”
Wozniacki was due to play Elena Dementieva in the semi-finals.
Fourth-seeded Dementieva needed almost three hours to beat Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
In an all-Russian quarter-final, Maria Kirilenko beat Dinara Safina in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
Kirilenko said she’s not surprised so many Russians are thriving on the WTA Tour.
“We work a lot,” she said. “That’s why I think we have good results, you know. Because to have a talent, it’s not enough. You have to be patient. You have to work a lot.”
She was due to face another compatriot in Nadia Petrova. Petrova downed second-seeded Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-1.
“I just really tried to stay consistent with the returns,” Petrova said. “My goal was to have a good power behind the ball and also be consistent with my shots, not to give too many free points.”
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