Tennis: Djokovic conquers 'Everest' and eyes 52-year landmark at French Open

Novak Djokovic can become the first man in 52 years to win all four Grand Slam titles twice in the French Open final on Sunday after conquering Rafael Nadal, the 'Mount Everest' of Roland Garros.

World number one Djokovic takes on Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas for the title with tennis history on the line.

Victory for the Serb will take him alongside Roy Emerson and Rod Laver as the only men to capture the four majors more than once.

It's an achievement that has proved even beyond the capabilities of Nadal and Roger Federer.

It is so rare an accomplishment that it hasn't happened since 1969 when Laver completed his second calendar Grand Slam.

Djokovic can pocket a 19th Slam with victory and move just one behind the record of 20 jointly held by Nadal and Federer.

Djokovic insists there will be no letdown physically or emotionally after reaching the final in Paris for a sixth time with an epic triumph over 13-time champion Nadal.

"It's not the first time that I play an epic semi-final in a Grand Slam and then I have to come back in less than 48 hours and play finals," said the 34-year-old.

"My recovery abilities have been pretty good throughout my career."

His four-hour, four-set battle with Nadal is already jostling for a prime spot in the list of "greatest ever matches" at the Slams.

- 'Never believed' -

It featured a lung-busting 92-minute third set and required government intervention to allow the 5,000 fans inside Court Philippe Chatrier to watch the match's conclusion despite it extending beyond the 11pm Covid-19 curfew.

The 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 triumph gave Djokovic the honour of being the only man to have beaten Nadal in Paris more than once, having first achieved it in the 2015 quarter-finals.

Nadal has only lost three times in 108 matches since his title-winning debut in 2005.

Djokovic, the 2016 champion, said it was his best win in Paris and ranked it among his "three greatest" ever performances.

He broke the Spaniard eight times from 22 break points and fired 50 winners.

A weary Nadal committed 55 unforced errors.

"It's hard to find words bigger than all the superlatives you can think of for Rafa's achievements at Roland Garros," said Djokovic who now leads their series 30-28 and had lost three finals in the French capital to Nadal.

"Each time you step on the court with him, you know that you have to kind of climb Mount Everest to win against this guy here."

Nadal, the defending champion and chasing a record-setting 21st Grand Slam title, refused to dwell on the consequences.

"I'm sad to have lost in the most important tournament of the year for me, but life goes on, it's nothing more than a defeat on a tennis court," said the 35-year-old who conducted a hasty press conference while Djokovic was still giving his on-court interview.

Djokovic will be playing in his 29th Slam final on Sunday.

He holds a 5-2 record over Tsitsipas, a run which includes all three meetings on clay.

At last year's Roland Garros, Djokovic won their semi-final over five sets.

"We played an epic five-setter last year in the semis here. I know it's going to be another tough one," added Djokovic who also defeated Tsitsipas in Rome on the eve of the French Open.

"I'm hoping I can recharge my batteries as much as I can because I'm going to need some power and energy for that one."

Tsitsipas, 22, and 12 years younger than the Serb, is in his first Slam final having ended a run of three semi-final losses by defeating Alexander Zverev over five sets on Friday.

Victory on Sunday would allow him to become the first Greek player to win a Slam title.

He would also become the youngest champion in Paris since Nadal in 2008 and overall at the Slams since Juan Martin del Potro at the 2009 US Open.

"I've never believed, have never really thought at what age this achievement might come," said Tsitsipas.

"But I'm really happy with myself. I think I've shown good discipline so far. I've been progressive."

Tsitsipas is the hottest player on tour in 2021 with a season-leading 39 wins.

Twenty-two of those have come on clay and have reaped a Masters title in Monte Carlo as well as Lyon.

Tsitsipas also had a match point in the Barcelona final against eventual champion Nadal.

"There is the final on Sunday, which is exciting. I'm looking forward to leaving my entire body on the court," said the Greek who knocked out second seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Birthday boy Djokovic building up 'to shine' at Roland Garros

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Novak Djokovic celebrated his 34th birthday this weekend at the Belgrade tennis center which carries his name but with one eye on Roland Garros where he intends "to shine."

The world number one is top seed at the pre-French Open event in the Serbian capital before heading to Paris where he seeks a second career triumph.

"We are working so that I reach my maximum, that everything is perfectly adjusted in Paris, where I want to shine," Djokovic said at a news conference on Sunday.

Djokovic, who turned 34 on Saturday, has endured a roller-coaster clay court season.

He lost in the third round at the Monte Carlo Masters before reaching the semi-finals when Belgrade staged its first event of the spring in April.

He then lost the final of the Rome Masters last weekend to Rafael Nadal, the 13-time champion at Roland Garros.

"I'm really satisfied to be able to play at home twice. It brings me mental serenity and the joy of being able to prepare at home for one of the most important tournaments of the year," said Djokovic.

The Serb is an 18-time Grand Slam title winner with his lone Paris triumph coming in 2016.

If he wins another Roland Garros, he will become the first man in more than 50 years to have won all four majors more than once.

Agence France-Presse

'It's my lucky place': Kvitova back in Roland Garros semi-finals after 8 years

Petra Kvitova returned to the French Open semi-finals for the first time in eight years on Wednesday after defeating Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3, describing Roland Garros as her "lucky place".

Czech seventh seed Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, will face either Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin or Danielle Collins for a place in Saturday's final.

"It means a lot to be back in the semi-finals," said 30-year-old Kvitova who was beaten by eventual champion Maria Sharapova when she made the same stage in 2012.

"After my last match, I was very emotional to be in the quarter-finals. Now I am in the semis. I never imagined this would happen after everything that has happened.

"This is my lucky place."

It was Paris where Kvitova made her comeback in 2017 after spending six months recovering from a terrifying knife attack at her home in December 2016.

The frenzied assault required a four-hour operation and left her with damaged ligaments in her playing hand. Doctors warned her that her career may be finished.

On Wednesday, Kvitova fired 22 winners and six aces past 32-year-old Siegemund, the world number 66 who was playing in the quarter-finals of a Slam for the first time.

One break of serve in the opener was enough for Kvitova while five more breaks followed in the second set.

Kvitova, who has yet to drop a set at the tournament, claimed victory when Siegemund served up a third double fault of the tie.

"I am happy to be here and to be able to compete with the best especially in these conditions -- roof open, roof closed, sunshine, windy."

- Battle of Americans -

Fourth seed Kenin, 21, has developed a knack of working her way out of trouble in Paris, twice recovering from a set down en route to the last eight.

In her last 16 win over Fiona Ferro she overcame a first-set blip and partisan crowd, displaying a steely resilience while raising her game to another level.

The 21-year-old says she needs "step up" again having reached the quarter-finals of a major for just the second time, but she has a fondness for Paris having knocked out Serena Williams on her way to the last 16 in 2019.

Collins, 26, is a late bloomer after taking the college route in the US, twice capturing the national singles title while at Virgina.

"I know what it's like having $50 in my bank account and being worried if I'm going to be able to get to the next place that I need to go. I know what it's like being on a Greyhound bus," said Collins.

"I think those are the experiences that give us the strength to go out on court and play so intensely in high-pressured moments."

She is another battle-hardened player, notably rallying from a double break down in the final set to knock out 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza in the third round.

The 57th-ranked Collins, who has fired an impressive 140 winners in four rounds, beat Kenin in straight sets in Adelaine earlier this year and is aiming to match her run to the 2019 Australian Open semi-finals.

Thursday's other semi-final will see Polish 19-year-old Iga Swiatek tackle Argentina's Nadia Podoroska, the world number 131 who is bidding to become the first qualifier to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament.

Agence France-Presse

Tennis: Barty party underway, as Aussie woman crowned French Open champ

PARIS—Ashleigh Barty, the Australian who ditched tennis to play professional cricket for a year, smashed Marketa Vondrousova for six on Saturday to lift the French Open crown at Roland Garros.

Boasting a bewildering array of shots and spins, the eighth seed crushed her Czech teenage opponent 6-1, 6-3 to win her first Grand Slam title, and Australia’s first French women’s singles crown in more than four decades.

“It’s unbelievable... I played the perfect match today. I am so proud of myself and my whole team... it has been a crazy two weeks,” said Barty, the ninth different female champion in the last 10 grand slams.

“This is a special place for Australian players... it has been a magical two weeks.”

Not since Margaret Court’s triumph in Paris in 1973 has an Australian won the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen but this victory was in very little doubt from the moment the final began.

In a match-up where guile and artistry always trumped power, Barty was simply smarter throughout.

Producing angles so sharp they might have come with a health warning, the 23-year-old carved apart Vondrousova in the opening set, clinching it in half an hour.

While the match was no classic, those fans who had taken a break after the conclusion of the Dominic Thiem-Novak Djokovic men’s semi-final which had caused the women’s final to run more than an hour late, missed some of the more thoughtful tennis played on the Roland Garros clay this past fortnight.

Vondrousova, who herself has bamboozled a succession of opponents here, repeatedly found herself outfoxed by Barty, whose doubles excellence was always on display with her net-play and cleverly angled serving.

Barty, who returned to tennis in 2016 after a successful stint with the Brisbane Heat in Australian cricket’s Women’s Big Bash League, took nary a backward step, breaking instantly in the second set to deprive her 19-year-old opponent any foothold.

Cracking a stiff-armed, two-handed backhand, in the manner of Jim Courier, Barty was able to counter Vondrousova’s attempts to pull her wide with her loopy left-handed backhand, and the Czech rapidly ran out of ideas.

Vondrousova turned to ever riskier strategies — her drop shots became finer, her drives more firmly struck — and she earned a little breathing space, holding serve three times after that early break.

But the irrevocable damage had been done and when Barty slammed a short smash high into the stands it was all over and she raised her arms in triumph.

The victory lacked drama but lifts Barty to number two in the world — a feat last accomplished by an Australian woman in 1976 by Evonne Goolagong. (Editing by Clare Fallon)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Nadal too strong for Federer, reaches 12th French Open final

Defending champion Rafael Nadal powered past Roger Federer in the French Open semi-finals on Friday, claiming his first win over his old rival in five years to move within one victory of a record-extending 12th Roland Garros title.

The 33-year-old produced a masterful performance to get past Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the last 4 on Court Philippe Chatrier and set up a final clash with either world No. 1 Novak Djokovic or Austrian 4th seed Dominic Thiem on Sunday.

It will be Nadal's 12th appearance in the championship match, which he has never lost before.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Nadal expects Federer onslaught in semi-final

Rafael Nadal is braced for an all-out assault from Roger Federer when the two great rivals meet at Roland Garros for the first time in eight years in Friday's French Open semi-final.

Although Federer has won the last five meetings in their 38-match rivalry, none of them were on the Spaniard's beloved clay.

In their five previous meetings at Roland Garros, including four finals, Federer has never managed more than one set.

Despite being generally regarded as the greatest player of all time, 20-time Grand Slam champion Federer has never fathomed a way of suppressing the marauding Mallorcan at Roland Garros.

Nadal, bidding for a record-extending 12 titles, believes the Swiss will be coming at him with all guns blazing after a comfortable passage to the last four.

"There are no two matches the same," Real Madrid fan Nadal told reporters as he looked ahead to tennis' El Clasico.

"We always try things. Let's see. Let's see what's going on. I really expect that he's gonna play aggressive, changing rhythms, going to the net. That's my feeling.

"He's playing well and he has the tennis to make that happen. I have to be solid. I have to hit the ball strong enough to [not] allow him to do the things from good positions."

Federer, bidding to win the title for the second time, 10 years after he beat Robin Soderling to claim his sole French Open crown, has only dropped one set on his return to Roland Garros, having missed the last three French Opens.

Nadal has been equally dominant and obliterated Kei Nishikori with an awesome show of force in the quarter-finals.

With only two wins from their previous 15 claycourt meeting Federer knows he must bring something different to the party and says he will adopt a "fearless" approach to try to get the better of his Roland Garros nemesis.

Should he manage it, it would be arguably one of the greatest feats of his sensational career.

"For me to even get to Rafa was not simple," Federer, at nearly 38 the oldest men's Grand Slam semi-finalist for 28 years, said after defeating countryman Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday.

"It took me five matches to get here. That's why I'm very happy to play Rafa, because if you want to do or achieve something on the clay, inevitably, at some stage, you will go through Rafa, because he's that strong.

"I knew that when I signed up for the clay that hopefully that's gonna happen." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Federer becomes oldest man to reach French Open 4th round

PARIS—Roger Federer eased past Norway's Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (10) on Friday to become the oldest male player to reach the fourth round at the French Open.

Playing in his 400th Grand Slam match, the 37-year-old showed little mercy to his 20-year-old Norwegian opponent, whose father Christian reached the third round when Federer first played on the "terre battue" of Roland Garros as a wild card entrant in 1999.

Federer needed little more than an hour to pick up the first two sets, but a rare lapse in the Federer concentration allowed Ruud, ranked 63 in the world, to pick up an early break in the third set.

The Swiss reeled the youngster back in, forcing the game to a tie-break where he squandered three match points before winning 10-8.

As he signed autographs at the end, a female fan said: "Roger, I've never seen you sweat before, this is crazy." Federer quipped back: "I know, I don't know what's going on, I must be getting old!"

Federer was making his first appearance at Roland Garros since he reached the quarter-finals in 2015. He withdrew from the event in 2016 and missed the entire clay court season in 2017 and 2018 to focus on grass.

Sounding relaxed in a post-match interview, Federer, one of tennis' most elegant playmakers, praised his opponent's tenacity - and his grunt-free ball-hitting.

"He doesn't make any noise. I love that," he said.

Federer is vying for his second French Open title 10 years after his first in 2009 and to set a record for the longest gap between winning a second title at a Grand Slam in the Open era. He will meet either French wild card Nicolas Mahut or Argentina's Leonardo Mayer in the fourth round. (Reporting by Richard Lough; editing by Tony Lawrence)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Karlovic becomes oldest man to win match at Roland Garros for 46 years

Croatia's Ivo Karlovic became the oldest man to win a match at the French Open for 46 years on Tuesday as he beat Spain's fellow veteran Feliciano Lopez in a first-round duel.

Karlovic, who turned 40 in February, won 7-6(4) 7-5 6-7(7) 7-5 in a match featuring players with a combined age of 77 -- the oldest in a Grand Slam in the professional era.

Karlovic became the oldest man to win at Roland Garros since Torben Ulrich in 1973 at the age of 44. He is also the oldest male player to win a Grand Slam match since Ken Rosewall, also 44, did so at the 1978 Australian Open.

The last player to contest a Grand Slam singles match having turned 40 was American Jimmy Connors at the US Open in 1992.

Croatian giant Karlovic fired down 35 aces on his way to a second-round clash against Australian youngster Jordan Thompson.

The evergreen Croat made light of his age to outlast left-hander Lopez.

"It means a lot. Even though it's in the record books as the oldest one, at least it's in the record books, so I like it," Karlovic said of playing his fellow long-survivor.

"I was out for almost two months, so I am really happy that I was able to win today."

Karlovic, ranked 94, had decided against playing any clay court tournaments in the build-up to Roland Garros where he has never gone past the third round.

But there was nothing rusty about his serve, not giving Lopez a sniff of a break in the opening two sets.

He took the first set on a tiebreak but did not engineer a break point on the Lopez serve until pouncing with his opponent 5-6 down in the second set.

Almost inevitably the third set went to another tiebreak and when Lopez missed a routine volley at 5-5 it handed Karlovic a match point, only for him to be denied by a lucky backhand return that left him floundering at the net.

A fifth set loomed when Lopez led 5-2 in the fourth set but Karlovic rattled off five straight games to move through.

In a performance of old-school skills he won 65 points at the net.

"Right now I'm just happy with any match that I win," Karlovic said. "Even if it's against older guys or kids, whatever. I just like to win."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Naomi Osaka adjusting to clay in time for French Open

PARIS—Naomi Osaka believes she is finally getting to grips with clay-court tennis as she is about to start her first grand slam as the top seed at this year's French Open.

The world No. 1 from Japan has won the past 2 majors — the US and Australian Opens — but she has yet to claim a title on the slowest surface.

"Definitely for me I feel like I should be an all-court player. Honestly, it's been a bit of a ride trying to figure out how to play better on clay throughout these years, but I think this year I have been playing well," Osaka told reporters ahead of the May 26-June 9 tournament at Roland Garros.

"So I'm really excited to see what happens here."

Osaka reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart and the quarter-finals in Madrid and Rome on the red dirt this season.

Looking to improve her clay-court skills, she spent a bit of time at 11-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal's academy.

"I was able to go there for a little bit in between Germany and Spain. It was really nice," she said.

"Everyone is very nice and helpful. And then I met Rafa. So that was really cool."

Her clay-court results and her recent success at the majors have boosted her confidence.

"I don't want to be here thinking I want to get to the quarters," she said even though her best result at the French Open was reaching the third round in 2016 and last year.

"I have never been that far here before, but my end goal is to win, of course."

Osaka will start her campaign against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova before a potentially explosive second round clash against two-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka or 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko.

Serena Williams, the 23-time major champion, could be her quarter-final opponent while defending champion Simona Halep is a potential semi-final obstacle. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Djokovic, Zverev eye semi-finals, US hope for double

Novak Djokovic can reach a 32nd Grand Slam semi-final on Tuesday when the 12-time major winner faces unseeded Italian Marco Cecchinato in the last-eight of the French Open.

Alexander Zverev, the second seeded German, is in his first quarter-final at the majors where he faces Dominic Thiem who has made the semi-finals in Paris in the last two years.

With world number two Caroline Wozniacki and defending champion Jelena Ostapenko already eliminated, the bottom half of the women's draw has been throw wide open.

World number 98 Yulia Putintseva, a quarter-finalist two years ago, tackles Madison Keys of the United States.

Keys's close friend Sloane Stephens, the US Open champion, takes on Russia's Daria Kasatkina who put out Wozniacki.

Novak Djokovic vs Marco Cecchinato

2016 champion Djokovic, in a 12th Roland Garros quarter-final and 40th at the majors, is bidding to reach his 32nd Grand Slam semi-final when he faces world number 72 Cecchinato.

Playing at his lowest ranking for almost 12 years after months of struggling with an elbow injury and indifferent form, Djokovic has made the last eight by dropping just one set.

Cecchinato is bidding to become the first Italian man to reach the semi-finals at a Grand Slam since Corrado Barazzutti in Paris in 1978.

The Italian, who has one career title to Djokovic's 68, had never won a match at the majors before this year's French Open.

Two years ago, his career was almost derailed when he became embroiled in match fixing allegations.

He was suspended for 18 months by the Italian tennis federation in July 2016 before later being cleared of any wrongdoing.

Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem

Zverev is playing in a quarter-final at the Slams for the first time while Thiem has made the semi-finals in Paris for the last two years.

After fighting through three consecutive five-set match-wins, Zverev is still on track to be the first German men's champion at Roland Garros since 1937.

Even though he trails Thiem in their head-to-head, he won their most recent meeting on clay in the Madrid final this year.

Thiem boasts being the only player to have defeated Rafael Nadal on clay prior to Roland Garros this year in the Madrid quarter-finals, ending the 10-time French Open champion's 21-match winning streak on clay. It was the first time Nadal had dropped a set on clay since Thiem's victory against him in Rome in 2017.

Yulia Putintseva vs Madison Keys

Kazakhstan's Putintseva will be playing her second quarter-final at Roland Garros, but this time it has been more of a surprise after slipping to 98th in the world rankings.

Keys had always struggled on clay before this year, but has now reached the last eight at all four Grand Slams after impressively cruising through the draw without dropping a set.

"Once you get to the second week, every match obviously has more nerves, and there's more on the line and all of that," said last year's US Open runner-up. "So now it's really just managing your expectations and your nerves and the moment."

Sloane Stephens vs Daria Kasatkina

Like her compatriot and good friend Keys, US Open champion Stephens is in the quarter-finals for the first time and hoping to set up a repeat of last year's final in New York.

But the 10th seed will have to be wary of the dangerous Kasatkina, who saw off Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets to notch her third consecutive win over the Australian Open winner.

The Russian also reached the Indian Wells final earlier this year, and has now won six times against players ranked in the world's top two.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tennis: Europe tops World in Laver Cup openers

PRAGUE - Marin Cilic, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev won their opening singles to put Team Europe ahead of Team World after day one of the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague on Friday.

Nick Kyrgios and Jack Sock then handed Team World their first point by beating Tomas Berdych and world number one Rafael Nadal in the day's closing doubles rubber to round off the score at 3-1 for Europe.

"I'm happy the way the day went, we had a couple of wins that were super close and we could lose," said Roland Garros and US Open champion Nadal.


"We have a good result for our team. Happy to go to back to bed with 3-1 and tomorrow is another day."

With four matches a day -- three singles and a doubles, the players can earn a point for each win on Friday, two on Saturday and three on Sunday.

World number five Cilic beat 72nd-ranked Frances Tiafoe, a replacement for the injured Argentinian Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/0) in the tournament opener.

The big-serving Croat and the 19-year-old American held on to their serves in the first set before earning a break apiece in the second, with Cilic showing better nerves in both tie-breakers.

Seventh-ranked Austrian Thiem then put Europe 2-0 ahead, beating world number 17 John Isner 6-7 (15/17), 7-6 (7/2), 10/8.

Isner offered his regular dose of aces as both held on to their serves throughout the rubber, taking it to the 10-point super tie-break used to decide games tied after two sets.

Isner went 4-0 up in the super tie-break, but the patient Austrian came back to win the rubber.

In a clash of the teams' youngest players, the 20-year-old world number four, Zverev, overpowered 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5) in another rubber without breaks.

In the doubles, Berdych lost his serve halfway through the first set as off-court friends Kyrgios and Sock seemed far more comfortable on the black court of Prague's O2 Arena.

Berdych and Nadal regained some momentum in the second set, but the Team World duo grabbed the super tie-break.

Skippering Team Europe, Bjorn Borg decided to rest world number two Roger Federer on Friday while John McEnroe decided not to use his highest-ranked player, 16th-ranked Sam Querrey.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FRENCH OPEN: Murray into semi-finals after taming Nishikori

PARIS - World number one Andy Murray shrugged off a sluggish start to reach his fifth French Open semi-final with a 2-6 6-1 7-6(0) 6-1 defeat of Japan's Kei Nishikori on Wednesday.

Briton Murray dropped serve twice in the opening set as the gremlins that have dogged his season briefly returned, but he was generally in charge after that against the eighth seed.

Nishikori, who beat Murray in the quarter-finals of last year's U.S. Open, could not sustain his early form and although he courageously forced a third-set tiebreak he lost that 7-0.

Murray, runner-up last year to Novak Djokovic, recovered an early break of serve in the fourth set and reeled off the last six games to set up a repeat of last year's semi-final when he produced a dazzling display to beat Stan Wawrinka.

The 30-year-old Murray arrived at Roland Garros with genuine concerns over his form after a mediocre claycourt swing, but with coach Ivan Lendl watching over his shoulder he has rediscovered the winning mentality just in time.

He might need another level, however, against Swiss former champion Wawrinka, who annihilated Marin Cilic 6-3 6-3 6-1.

"I came in playing garbage," Murray said. "You know, I'm the odd one out in the semis, but hopefully I can keep it up.

"I didn't feel like I played great tennis today. But it's a huge step in the right direction for me. Anyone can win matches when they are playing well. It's winning when you're not playing your best that is more impressive."

In windy conditions Murray double-faulted to lose serve in the third game and Nishikori pinged a forehand winner past him to move 5-2 ahead before serving out the set.

Serving at 1-1, deuce in the second set Murray was bizarrely given a time violation warning by umpire Carlos Ramos after he had let an errant ball toss land -- prompting an exchange of views between the pair.

Coincidence or not, after that incident Murray was far more aggressive and began to take over.

"I was frustrated about it, but I don't know how much impact that had on the match," Murray said. "It's not like I played a great point the next point.

"But I broke the following game. Kei played a poor game to break. I didn't do anything special, but that was a critical period of the match, because he started way better than me.

"From then on I started to do a bit better."

Murray quickly levelled the match but after twice breaking in the third set, at 2-2 and 5-5, he handed the advantage straight back and needed a tiebreak to forge ahead.

The body language of Nishikori, who has never reached the last four of the French, hardly looked promising after that and Murray marched on to his 21st grand slam semi-final.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Toby Davis)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bacsinszky, Ostapenko in French Open semi-final birthday battle

PARIS, France -- Swiss 30th seed Timea Bacsinszky reached the French Open semi-finals for the second time on Tuesday and will meet Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko for a shot at the title.

Bacsinszky downed French hope Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-4 on a rain-hit day at Roland Garros, while 19-year-old Ostapenko stunned Caroline Wozniacki 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Bacsinszky or Ostapenko can make it a double celebration when they meet on Thursday as both women celebrate their birthdays.

Bacsinszky will be 28; Ostapenko will turn 20.

Tuesday's matches both lasted just under two hours in duration but took the best part of six hours to complete after two rain delays -- one lasting three hours.


The weather interruptions forced Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's quarter-finals to be pushed back until Wednesday, drawing a deafening chorus of boos from the Paris crowd.

"I feel extremely privileged to be in a second semi-final at Roland Garros," said Bacsinszky, whose run to the last four two years ago was ended by Serena Williams in three sets.

"It was extremely difficult today. There was fine weather, then rain, wind and a sandstorm."

"I had to stay concentrated. I am sorry for the crowd but happy for me."

Mladenovic, bidding to be the first Frenchwoman in the semi-finals since Marion Bartoli in 2011, was broken in her first service game by Bacsinszky before she levelled at 2-2.

But she handed the advantage straight back in the fifth game and the Swiss player went on to claim the opening set on an ace after 63 minutes on court.

At 1-1 in the second set, the match was halted for three hours as torrential rain swept across Roland Garros.

When they returned, Mladenovic raced into a 3-2 lead.

She was again unable to back it up and Bacsinszky took the next four games to stretch to what proved to be a crucial 5-3 lead.

Ostapenko became the first Latvian woman to reach the last four of a Grand Slam after toppling former world number one Wozniacki.

The Danish 11th seed charged into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, blowing two set points as Ostapenko reeled off four straight games before Wozniacki finally wrapped it up.

But the Latvian, who is a chasing a first career title, hit back impressively with three breaks of serve in the second set to level the match.

Wozniacki hit just six winners in total, and Ostapenko's bold approach paid off as the teenager continued her dream run.

"I'm really happy, I cannot believe it still," said Ostapenko.

"I had to stay aggressive. I was missing sometimes but in the end it worked out. It will be really great to play here when it will be my birthday. I hope I can enjoy it."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Murray, Wawrinka set up semi-final duel as Djokovic hits $100m

PARIS, France -- Andy Murray and defending champion Stan Wawrinka set up a mouthwatering French Open semi-final duel Wednesday as Novak Djokovic became the first player to smash the $100 million prize money barrier.

Second seed Murray reached the semi-finals in Paris for a fourth time by battling back to defeat the last home hope Richard Gasquet 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 6-0, 6-2.

Wawrinka, the 31-year-old third seed, became the oldest man since 1985 to reach the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) win over Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Gasquet, bidding to end France's 33-year-wait for a French champion, reeled off five straight games to recover from 5-2 down and claim the opening set in front of a raucous Philippe Chatrier Court crowd.

But former US Open and Wimbledon champion Murray won a second set tie-break before claiming 12 of the next 14 games.

Murray leads his head-to-head 8-7 with Wawrinka but the Swiss star has won their last three meetings as well as their only two matches on clay.

"Stan's played great tennis here the past couple years. It's going to be extremely tough, hopefully I can play my best tennis and try and reach my first final here," said Murray after a third win in Paris over Gasquet.

Wawrinka is the oldest semi-finalist in Paris since 32-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1985.

He was in complete control against world number 55 Ramos-Vinolas, playing in his first quarter-finals at the majors, firing an impressive 49 winners.

"Overall, I played a good match with an incredible level in the first two sets," said Wawrinka.

"I had to dig deep to finish the match. To win in three sets, it's ideal."

Wawrinka, who beat Djokovic in last year's final, will be playing in only his second Roland Garros semi-final.

Top seed Djokovic reached the quarter-finals for the 10th time by defeating 14th seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5.

It was a tie which started the previous afternoon after rain disruptions had washed out Monday and allowed just two hours of play Tuesday.

The 29-year-old Serb will on Thursday take on Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych, who beat Spanish 11th seed David Ferrer 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.

- Stranglehold -

Djokovic has a 23-2 career stranglehold on Berdych who will be playing in his third Roland Garros quarter-final.

It will be the top seed's 28th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final and 36th in all.

Djokovic also crossed the $100 million prize money barrier on Wednesday.

He started the tournament with $99,673,404 and the 294,000 euros ($328,303) he earned by beating Bautista Agut took him past the landmark figure.

Djokovic, seeking a first French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, was 4-1 ahead of Bautista Agut in the third set Tuesday when play was halted.

But the Serb quickly wrapped up the next two games Wednesday and despite falling a break down to trail 2-4 in the fourth, he stormed back to claim victory on a second match point.

"With my coaching team, we had some tough talks on Tuesday night," said Djokovic, who had struggled in the heavy conditions when he had uncharacteristically dropped serve five times.

"But I came back with more intensity even though it was a tough mental and physical battle."

Austria's Dominic Thiem advanced to his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final with a 6-2, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, 6-4 win over Spain's Marcel Granollers.

Granollers had made the last 16 without hitting a ball when nine-time champion Rafael Nadal withdrew with a wrist injury last week.

Rain halted play at one set apiece on Tuesday, but 13th seed Thiem quickly found his groove on Wednesday to race through the third set before nailing down a place in the last eight.

The 22-year-old will next meet Belgian 12th seed David Goffin who saw off Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in another match held over from Tuesday.

"We practise a lot together and he's also a very nice guy," said Thiem, who trails Goffin 4-2 including a loss at the Australian Open this year.

Goffin is only the second Belgian man to reach the last eight in Paris.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

French Open organizers under fire as backlog grows

PARIS - Fans spent more time looking at the murky Parisian sky than watching tennis on Tuesday as French Open organizers were accused of "not caring about the players" after the event was disrupted by more rain following the previous day's washout.

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych summed up everyone's frustration on a day when nine hours of play was lost by tweeting: "Hey @AustralianOpen can you send us one roof here to Paris?! You have 3 down there."

Hey @AustralianOpen can you send us one roof here to paris?! You have 3down there #fedexmakeithappen #now 🤔🌧🙏🏻✔️

— Tomáš Berdych (@tomasberdych) May 31, 2016

The inability to play under cover, with Roland Garros being the only one of the four grand slam venues that does not have a court with a retractable roof, certainly proved costly for Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep -- fourth-round losers in the only two matches that were completed on day 10.


With the fixture list piling up, the women in top seed Serena Williams' half of the draw would now need to play on four successive days to win the title if the final takes place on Saturday as scheduled -- though more rain is forecast.

World number one Novak Djokovic and the men in his half of the draw, including Berdych, can also forget about enjoying the traditional rest days between each round as they would have to play on four of the next five days to contest Sunday's final.

Radwanska, the world number two, and 2014 runner-up Halep --who both started their last-16 matches on Sunday -- were forced to play in misty rain on Tuesday as organisers made a desperate attempt to clear the huge backlog.

"No one cares about the players in my opinion," sixth seed Halep said after she was beaten 7-6(0) 6-3 by Australian Sam Stosur in a battle of former finalists.

"It was impossible to play. To play tennis matches during the rain is a bit too much. I was close to getting injured with my back... but no one cares."

Radwanska had been leading Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2 3-0 when rain halted play on Sunday.

When the match resumed more than 40 hours later, the Polish second seed suffered a monumental meltdown as she lost 10 successive games in a 2-6 6-3 6-3 defeat by an opponent ranked 100 places below her.

"I'm just so surprised and angry that we have to play in the rain. I mean, it's not a $10,000 tournament. It's a grand slam," said Radwanska, the highest seed to exit the tournament.

"How can you allow players to play in the rain? I cannot play in that condition. They really don't care what we think."

BACK TO THE LOCKER ROOM

Ernests Gulbis and David Goffin did get on court for their fourth round showdown but took matters into their own hands by marching back into the locker room even before organisers had a chance to make a call.

It was a decision that Halep welcomed. "Good. Well done to them," the Romanian said as she gave them a thumbs-up.

While matches at the three other majors -- Wimbledon (grass), Australian and U.S. Opens (both hardcourts) -- are halted at the first sight of any raindrops, the brittle claycourt surface at Roland Garros means competitors are often told to play on in drizzle.

Roger Federer did just that in the 2009 men's final when he beat Robin Soderling to win his solitary French Open trophy.

Unsurprisingly, Pironkova did not think Tuesday's conditions were unplayable, though she acknowledged they were far from ideal.

"Well, it's happened before, of course. We have played in all sorts of conditions," said the Bulgarian, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2010.

"Usually if the court is not fit for play, like if it's slippery, they would cancel the match right away. But today the court was still hanging in, it was okay. We could have played, and so we did."

Radwanska and Halep's exit meant that at least five of the top eight women's seeds failed to make their allotted quarter-final spots.

Only two of 10 scheduled matches were completed as the claycourt major suffered its sixth day of showers, with Djokovic -- leading Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6 6-4 4-1 -- one of 16 players still stranded in the fourth round.

(Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by John Stonestreet)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Djokovic, Serena cruise as Kerber, Azarenka exit

PARIS, France -- Top seed Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a first French Open title with a routine victory while Serena Williams began the defense of her crown, but Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber crashed out on Tuesday.

Djokovic, a three-time Roland Garros finalist, faced little resistance from Taiwan's world number 95 Lu Yen-Hsun as he cruised to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory.

The Serb, bidding to become just the eighth man to secure a career Grand Slam, needed only 90 minutes on Court Phillipe Chatrier to book a second-round encounter with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis.

"Well, second and third set were really good. I thought I found my rhythm. First set was up and down. But I'll take the positives out of it, and I'm hoping I can progress as the tournament goes on," said Djokovic.

Serena Williams needed just 42 minutes to dispatch Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-0 as the American aims for another title that would see her equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam wins.

"Today was great for me. I hope I continue to play like today, it's only the first round. I hope I win six more matches," said Williams, showcasing her French to an appreciate crowd.

Andy Murray was forced to recover from a two-set deficit to overcome 37-year-old Radek Stepanek 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 in a match lasting three hours 41 minutes in total.

The second seed had been trailing by two sets to one but up a break in the fourth when play was suspended on Monday due to darkness.

The Scot duly returned to complete the job after making the crucial breakthrough at 5-all in the decider to set up a second-round encounter with 164th-ranked French wildcard Mathias Bourgue.

"He's always been extremely difficult to play," said Murray after a ninth career comeback from two sets down.

"He was playing drop shots, hitting the ball very flat, it was very difficult to get into a rhythm. That's credit to him and the way he played."

While Murray toiled, there were no such problems for nine-time champion Rafael Nadal who extended his record at Roland Garros to 71 wins against just two losses.

The fourth-seeded Spaniard made quick work of 100th-ranked Sam Groth, taming the Australian's powerful serve with eight breaks in a resounding 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 win.

"It's obvious that was a good start for me," said Nadal.

"I managed to break him very quickly. It was important because against such an opponent it's not easy to take his serve."

- Kerber dumped out -

Kerber became the tournament's first major casualty as Dutchwoman Kiki Bertens consigned the German third seed to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 defeat.

"The first rounds are always tough in the tournament, especially for me, but, yeah, what can I say? It happens," lamented Kerber, who was hampered by an ongoing shoulder problem.

"She's a tough opponent. I was ready. But, yeah, at the end she made the important points."

Another former Melbourne champion, Victoria Azarenka, retired in her opening-round match with Italy's world number 118 Karin Knapp.

Fifth seed Azarenka quit with a knee injury down 4-0 in the third set having already saved a match point in a second set tie-break.

Both Kerber and Azarenka were in Williams' section of the draw.

Sixth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga strolled to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory against German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, with Tomas Berdych also cruising to a straight-sets win over Vasek Pospisil.

David Ferrer, the 2013 runner-up, thrashed Russia's Evgeny Donskoy 6-1, 6-2, 6-0.

Austria's Dominic Thiem struggled initially against Inigo Cervantes, dropping the opening set to the Spaniard, but the 13th seed rallied to claim a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory.

Thiem, who retained his Nice title over the weekend, is one of just three players alongside Nadal and Pablo Cuevas with multiple clay-court tournament wins this season.

John Isner fired 40 aces to advance 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (14/12), 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 over Australian John Millman, while Bernard Tomic put recent struggles behind him to dispatch American Brian Baker in three sets.

Swiss eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky swept past Spanish lucky loser Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-3, 6-1, while 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro needed three sets to beat Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova.

Seven-time major winner Venus Williams, who lost the 2002 final to sister Serena, edged out Estonia's Anett Kontaveit 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4), while 2008 champion Ana Ivanovic held off French wildcard Oceane Dodin in three sets.

Former runner-up Sam Stosur overcame Misaki Doi of Japan 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, but Francesca Schiavone, the 2010 champion, bowed out in straight sets to French 26th seed Kristina Mladenovic.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kyrgios lights up damp first day at French Open

PARIS - Australian Nick Kyrgios did his best to enliven a damp and dismal Parisian day with eye-catching play and habitual rants as the French Open began without some of its familiar settings on Sunday.

The volatile 17th seed mainly let his racket do the talking during an impressive 7-6(6) 7-6(6) 6-4 defeat of Italian debutant Marco Cecchinato, although he did receive a code violation for snapping at a ball boy in the first set.

Women's 10th seed Petra Kvitova was another early starter and was nearly sent packing in the opening skirmish on Philippe Chatrier Court, the twice Wimbledon champion coming within a game of defeat by Montenegro's Danka Kovinic.

She eventually won 6-2 4-6 7-5 in two hours 16 minutes watched by ticket holders wrapped up in colourful anoraks and with a multitude of umbrellas primed for action.

Long lines of fans formed outside Roland Garros as security was visibly beefed up in light of November's deadly attacks in the city and once inside the historic grounds there was a feeling that things were not quite where they should be.

Three courts, numbers seven, nine and 11, which used to flank the Chatrier showcourt, have disappeared, replaced by a muddy hole in the ground -- the start of a controversial re-development that will included a new stadium court by 2020.

Leafing through their programs the fans would also have noticed the name of Roger Federer absent from the men's draw for the first time since 1998 after the Swiss 17-times grand slam champion withdrew injured.

With rain dogging players and spectators throughout, an anti-climactic opening day was called off at around 6.30 p.m. local time with only 10 of the 32 scheduled matches completed.

At least Kyrgios, enjoying a consistent year which hints at a more level-headed approach, provided some entertainment for those huddled together on Court One.

The volatile 21-year-old fired down 17 aces and fended off two set points in the second-set tiebreak before dispatching 124th-ranked Cecchinato and setting up a second-round clash with Dutch lucky loser Igor Sijsling.

The match was not without some of the outbursts that have made Kyrgios one of the most talked-about players on Tour.

Towards the end of the first set he barked at a ballboy and was warned by umpire Carlos Ramos.

"A code violation for saying 'towel' loud?" Kyrgios said in a fiery exchange with Ramos.

"Now I've seen it all. That's bullshit... are you kidding?"

There was a maturity about his display though and he produced his best tennis when he needed it -- saving one set point with a nonchalant drop shot before taking control.

Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012, began confidently in light drizzle that followed the torrential early-morning rain, but from a position of strength got bogged down on the damp clay.

Kovinic served for the match at 5-4 in the third set but Kvitova roused herself to rattle off three games in a row.

"Definitely the serve," Kvitova, who racked up 10 double faults, said when asked what she needed to improve on.

Her fellow Czech Lucie Safarova, a surprise runner-up last year to Serena Williams, dropped only two games as she made short work of Russia's Vitalia Diatchenko.

Home favourite Benoit Paire, one of 16 Frenchman to start in the main draw, produced a topsy-turvy display against Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot before winning in five sets.

Spain's Garbine Muguruza, the women's fourth seed, did not make it on court for her match against Slovakian Anna Karolina Schmiedlova while men's fifth seed Kei Nishikori did, but was interrupted by the rain when he was leading by two sets.

(Editing by Ed Osmond and Clare Fallon)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nadal warns rule changes needed to sustain interest

MIAMI - Rafael Nadal issued a warning to tennis leaders Friday that the sport faces future troubles if equipment evolution makes speed and power dominant over skill and tactics.

On the eve of his opening match at the ATP and WTA Miami Open, the 14-time Grand Slam singles champion said rule changes are needed to allow for taller and stronger players using modern racquet technology to make quick work of points and matches.

"The sport in general needs to improve in all aspects," Nadal said. "The players today are taller than before. The racquets hit the ball harder than before. Same time, it's true that nothing changed in our sport in terms of rules, how high is the net, everything.

"People get emotional when the points are intense, long. If every time we make that happen less often, it's obvious our sport can be in trouble for the future."

The 29-year-old Spanish left-hander, whose 67 career titles include nine on the red clay at Roland Garros, said tennis must adapt for future generations to enjoy it as much as past ones have.

"Tennis has been tremendously successful for a long time. The sport is healthy. But it's obvious at the same time we need to move, to predict the future," Nadal said.

"I'm not talking for my generation but for the next generation. The people like the drama, the rallies. I don't remember amazing matches that was only one serve and one shot.

"The matches that people remember most are matches that are slow matches with unbelievable points and the applause of the people or the emotions of the people are not only with one serve and one shot."

Star power needed as well

Nadal said it's important for tennis to develop stars and rivalries, such as he has enjoyed with once-dominant Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, whose 11 career Grand Slam titles include four of the past five contested.

"In my opinion, it's not good if win a tournament every week a different player. People arrive at the tournament and nobody knows who are the favorites," Nadal said.

"It's difficult because the people need to support one player, so you need the stars. To create the stars you need players that have been there for a long time.

"At the same time it's good to have a combination of styles, different players that fight for the important things and one or another can win. That has happened the last 10 or 12 years.

"It's obvious now it's better for Novak. For last year and a half, two years, one is dominating. Maybe too much. But he deserves."

Nadal, who has struggled with knee injuries for years, went without a Grand Slam title last year for the first time since 2004 but is not looking toward the end just yet.

"I'm happy doing what I'm doing. I enjoy playing my sport," he said. "It's about love for the game, about passion for what I'm doing and I'm going to be here until I'm unhappy doing what I'm doing."

Nadal would like to do a little better at Miami, where he has lost all four finals he has reached -- in 2005 to Federer, 2008 to Nikolay Davydenko and in 2011 and 2014 to Djokovic.

"I think I played well in my career here. Four finals. Another semi-final. So was a positive tournament for me. Only negative thing is I finally never win it," Nadal said.

js/rcw

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Serena Williams wins 20th Grand Slam in Paris

PARIS -- Serena Williams won her 20th Grand Slam title and third French Open crown at Roland Garros on Saturday, clawing her way back from a break down in the last set to defeat Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2.

In what was a disjointed affair, the 33-year-old American was coasting to a straight-sets win, a set and 4-1 up against the Czech 13th seed, playing in her first Grand Slam final at the age of 28.

But a combination of serving woes for Williams and some top play from Safarova forced a third set, the fifth of the tournament for the American.

She fell 0-2 down in that, but recovered her composure in the nick of time to rattle off six games in a row for the title.

With 20 Grand Slam titles Williams is now second on the Open-era list, two shy of Steffi Graf. She is also now halfway to winning all four Grand Slam titles, in the same year, a feat previously achieved by just three other women, the last being Graf in 1988.

For Safarova, who reached the final without dropping a set, the consolation will be her debut in the world top 10, at number seven. And she has the women's doubles final to follow on Sunday, playing with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

"I played very well and she was a magnificent opponent for me," Williams said.

"She was very aggressive and I was a bit nervous at a set and a break up.

"It's special for me because I don't play well all the time here (in Paris), but I am so pleased to win my 20th Grand Slam here."

Safarova said she was proud of the way she had fought back in the second set after it seemed she was heading for a heavy defeat.

"Serena was really strong out there. I just pushed myself to step up the level," she said.

"But when she won the serve on 2-1 (in the last set) she just stepped up her tennis again. She did some great shots to break me and started to play really strong. She was just playing better than me."

Williams had struggled with a bout of the flu throughout the tournament's second week, needing four times to fight back from a set down just to reach the final.

But after two days of "rest and therapy" in her Paris apartment she came out looking somewhat refreshed if more subdued than usual as she stared fixedly at the ground between points.

She played well within herself on serve, taking pace off her first ball and then allowing Safarova an easy hold to level.

But the American upped the pace suddenly in the fourth game, clinching the first break of the match with a scorching forehand crosscourt winner.

Safarova top-edged two returns high up into the crowd as the American continued to crank up the pressure, but the Czech player stayed in touch with a hold for 4-2.

Williams let out two loud "c'mons" as she held serve for the fourth straight time to make it 5-2 and two games later the first set was in the bag in just 31 minutes. Safarova had failed to muster a single break point.

Williams had never failed to win a Grand Slam title on the 17 occasions she had taken the first set, and she honed in on another straight sets win by breaking serve to open the second and then holding to love.

Safarova had a mountain to climb as the crowd tried to rally her, but another service loss saw her fall 4-1 behind.

Out of the blue though Williams, suddenly flung the Brno-born player a lifeline, double-faulting twice to drop serve.

Two games later she was undone again by some loose shot-making and another double fault. Against all the odds and to general surprise, Safarova was level at 4-4.

Williams served for the match at 6-5 after another break, but Safarova produced her best tennis of the final to force the tie-break, which she won easily.

Safarova moved 2-0 up in the third before Williams resurfaced, taking six games in a row for the win.

At 33 years and 254 days Williams is just nine days younger than was Martina Navratilova, who became the oldest Open-era Grand Slam winner at Wimbledon 1990.

She will now switch her focus onto Wimbledon which starts in three weeks where a title win would give her all four Grand Slam crowns at the same time -- a feat she previously achieved when she won the 2003 Australian Open.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Djokovic shaken by resilient Murray as storm halts play

PARIS - What looked like a stroll into the French Open final turned into an uphill battle for Novak Djokovic as the world number one's stranglehold on Friday's duel with Andy Murray was loosened by a determined fightback from the third seed.

The Serb, looking to win the only major missing from his collection, was leading 6-3 6-3 5-7 3-3 in their semi-final clash when play was suspended for the day because of a storm after Murray had clawed his way back into contention.

The winner will face Swiss Stan Wawrinka after the eighth seed beat France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets in an earlier semi-final on court Philippe Chatrier.

That match acted as an aperitif for the second semi-final that featured the two players still unbeaten on clay this season.

When it was interrupted at 2033 local time, it was developing into a classic.

Djokovic, the man who ended nine-times champion Rafa Nadal's reign in the quarter-finals, was never in trouble in the first two sets and did not concede a single break point against a frustrated Murray.

But the Scot, under the watchful eye of coach Amelie Mauresmo, had studied his opponent's tactics.

In the 11th game of the third set, on his first break chance, he perfectly anticipated yet another Djokovic drop shot and slapped away a forehand.

He then held to love to clinch the third set and shake the confidence of Djokovic, who had not conceded a set in the tournament so far.

The Serb then took a lengthy timeout off court and was booed by the crowd when he returned.

In the second game of the fourth set, Murray fell 0-40 down on his serve but after screaming in frustration, he won nine points in a row to move 2-1 ahead having broken Djokovic.

But the world number one broke back and it then went with serve until the interruption.

Murray was hoping to end a seven-match losing streak against Djokovic and become the first British man to reach the final at Roland Garros since Bunny Austin in 1937.

Djokovic is on course to become the eighth man to win all four grand slams. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com