China & Japan Open: Nadal surges ahead on recovery path with win over Gojowczyk
World number two enters quarter-finals after second-round victory.
BEIJING:
Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams powered into the quarter-finals of the China Open yesterday, while world number two Simona Halep made the last eight, but then withdrew from the tournament through injury.
Serena, the top seed in Beijing, made it through after a scare in a back-and-forth game against Czech player Lucie Safarova that she eventually won 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.
World number two Nadal beat qualifier Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4 in his second competitive singles match in three months.
It was another encouraging display from the second seed in Beijing, but Nadal recognises he is still far from his world-beating best following a wrist injury which forced him out of a string of tournaments.
“I need to improve. It’s obvious,” he said.
“My serve worked well today [Thursday]. But in general, I need more rhythm on the legs, more rhythm on the shots, more good directions.”
Nadal also criticised the balls that are being used in Beijing, saying, “If you throw the ball on the floor, the bounce goes everywhere.”
Elsewhere in the men’s competition, Czech world number six Berdych helped his cause in aiming to qualify for next month’s ATP World Tour Finals in Great Britain when he made the quarter-finals.
The world number eight beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4 in his second round match.
Berdych made the semi-finals in Beijing last year and will have to beat American John Isner to achieve the same feat this year.
Briton Andy Murray, who is also chasing points for London, made the quarter-finals at the expense of Pablo Cuevas.
The 27-year-old Scot took 80 minutes to defeat the Uruguayan 6-2, 6-2.
Fifth seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov also made the last eight after beating Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-4, 6-4.
In the women’s competition, second seed Halep overcame stubborn resistance from Andrea Petkovic in her match, defeated her German opponent 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 7-6 (7/1).
But after her hard-earned victory, the WTA said she had withdrawn from the tournament with a hip injury, and her scheduled opponent in the quarter-finals, Ana Ivanovich, will go straight into the semi-finals.
Also in Beijing, seventh seed Angelique Kerber suffered an agonising defeat to Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Nishikori cruises in Japan
Kei Nishikori strengthened his bid to become the first Asian to qualify for an ATP year-end final as the fourth seed defeated American Donald Young 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) yesterday at the Japan Open.
The US Open finalist will be playing a home quarter-final for the third straight year after winning the tournament in 2012.
“It was a really long match with a lot of long rallies,” said the winner. “He [Young] plays really aggressively and really came to the net.
“I returned well, especially in some tough moments in the second set.”
Nishikori stands sixth in the points race for next month’s eight-man World Tour Finals in London.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2014.
Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams powered into the quarter-finals of the China Open yesterday, while world number two Simona Halep made the last eight, but then withdrew from the tournament through injury.
Serena, the top seed in Beijing, made it through after a scare in a back-and-forth game against Czech player Lucie Safarova that she eventually won 6-1, 1-6, 6-2.
World number two Nadal beat qualifier Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4 in his second competitive singles match in three months.
It was another encouraging display from the second seed in Beijing, but Nadal recognises he is still far from his world-beating best following a wrist injury which forced him out of a string of tournaments.
“I need to improve. It’s obvious,” he said.
“My serve worked well today [Thursday]. But in general, I need more rhythm on the legs, more rhythm on the shots, more good directions.”
Nadal also criticised the balls that are being used in Beijing, saying, “If you throw the ball on the floor, the bounce goes everywhere.”
Elsewhere in the men’s competition, Czech world number six Berdych helped his cause in aiming to qualify for next month’s ATP World Tour Finals in Great Britain when he made the quarter-finals.
The world number eight beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4 in his second round match.
Berdych made the semi-finals in Beijing last year and will have to beat American John Isner to achieve the same feat this year.
Briton Andy Murray, who is also chasing points for London, made the quarter-finals at the expense of Pablo Cuevas.
The 27-year-old Scot took 80 minutes to defeat the Uruguayan 6-2, 6-2.
Fifth seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov also made the last eight after beating Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-4, 6-4.
In the women’s competition, second seed Halep overcame stubborn resistance from Andrea Petkovic in her match, defeated her German opponent 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 7-6 (7/1).
But after her hard-earned victory, the WTA said she had withdrawn from the tournament with a hip injury, and her scheduled opponent in the quarter-finals, Ana Ivanovich, will go straight into the semi-finals.
Also in Beijing, seventh seed Angelique Kerber suffered an agonising defeat to Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Nishikori cruises in Japan
Kei Nishikori strengthened his bid to become the first Asian to qualify for an ATP year-end final as the fourth seed defeated American Donald Young 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) yesterday at the Japan Open.
The US Open finalist will be playing a home quarter-final for the third straight year after winning the tournament in 2012.
“It was a really long match with a lot of long rallies,” said the winner. “He [Young] plays really aggressively and really came to the net.
“I returned well, especially in some tough moments in the second set.”
Nishikori stands sixth in the points race for next month’s eight-man World Tour Finals in London.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2014.