Djokovic, Nadal set up mouth-watering clash

Serb ends Haas’ run, Spaniard downs Wawrinka in French Open quarter-final.

PARIS: Novak Djokovic kept calm, cool and collected to subdue the challenge of 35-year-old Tommy Haas with a 6-3, 7-6(5), 7-5 win in the quarter-final of the French Open yesterday.

If the world number one still had nightmares about his mauling by Haas just over two months ago in Miami, he hid those fears well to set up a semi-final blockbuster with seven-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Meanwhile, Nadal’s transformation into claycourt machine was complete as the seven-times champion bulldozed into the last-four with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 crushing of Swiss ninth-seed Stanislas Wawrinka.

Sharapova, Azarenka reach French Open semis

In the women’s draw, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka set up a mouth-watering semi-final with hard-fought wins.

The defending champion Russian, seeded second this year, survived a nightmare start to hold on to her crown for at least another day with a 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Jelena Jankovic in a compelling quarter-final tie.

The 26-year-old was all over the place for a set and 30 minutes in her match against Jankovic, but with the Roland Garros exit door beckoning, she steadied her nerves.

“She played a great match from the beginning and was aggressive,” said Sharapova. “I knew after the first set that I had to change things around. I just had to erase the chapter and move forward. I still felt I was in the match and I broke her in the first game [of the second].”

World number three Azarenka, meanwhile, reached her first semi-final at Roland Garros when she defeated Maria Kirilenko of Russia, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2.

Australian Open winner Azarenka had not faced anyone inside the top 30 en route to the last-eight and that lack of sharpness was evident immediately with four breaks in the first four games. “Kirilenko is such a great competitor and it was a really tough start,” said Azarenka. “But I am happy to get through to my first semi-final in Paris at the third time of asking.”

The women’s semi-finals will be held today with top-seed Serena Williams taking on last year’s runner-up Sara Errani in the other match.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2013.