Aisam, Bopanna out of Miami Masters

Djokovic continues dream run to enter singles semi-final.

MIAMI:

Pakistan’s Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna failed in their bid to make it to the doubles semi-final of the Miami Masters.

The seventh-seeded pair lost out to Oliver Marach of Austria and Serb Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 7-6 in the quarter-final. The Austro-Serb pair will now face Indians Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the semi-final.

Djokovic marches on

Novak Djokovic reached the semi-final by beating Kevin Anderson, extending his winning streak and avenging a loss two years ago to the South African in the same city.

World number two Djokovic defeated unseeded Anderson 6-4, 6-2 in the quarter-final.

“When I was two breaks up in the second I was comfortably sure, but not before that,” said Djokovic. “In the second set I found that momentum but I went through situations where I faced a couple of break points and I saved them. I was fortunate in those moments. “

The Serb, who won his 24th consecutive match, now faces American Mardy Fish in the semi-finals.

Fish ousts Ferrer

Meanwhile, Fish, who will replace Andy Roddick as the top-ranked American player when the next ATP tour rankings come out, ousted an ailing David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals.

While Ferrer had plenty of praise for Fish’s strong performance on serve, he said he could not really rise to the challenge because of a stomach ailment.

“I think it’s the digestion,” said Ferrer. “I went to the court, and when I run to rallies, a lot of pain in my stomach. In the second set, I cannot run anymore.”

The victory ensures Fish will climb to at least 11th when the rankings are next released, while Roddick will fall from eighth to 14th after losing his tournament-opener last week.

Struggling Clijsters out

In the women’s draw, eighth-seed Victoria Azarenka toppled second-seed Kim Clijsters to reach the semi-finals.

Azarenka, of Belarus, defeated the ailing Belgian 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first semi-final of the season. Clijsters had eight double faults and held her serve just three times in nine service games as she continues to be bothered by a right shoulder injury, which emerged during the Australian Open earlier this year.

In the semi-final, Azarenka will face third-seed Russian Vera Zvonareva, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Poland’s Agienszka Radwanska.

The other semi-final features Russia’s Maria Sharapova squaring off against rising German star Andrea Petrovic.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2011.