Beijing: Rafael Nadal survived the powerful serves of John Isner here Friday and advanced to the China Open tennis tournament semifinals with a 6-4, 7-6(7-0) victory in a match that lasted 104 minutes. It was sweet revenge for the Spaniard who had lost to the American at the Laver Cup.
Nadal broke Isner in the ninth game of the first set to take a 5-4 lead and then closed out the set easily. In the second, both players held serves to make it six games all. In the ensuing tie-breaker, Nadal with some relentless back-court hitting, did not give Isner a semblance of a chance.
Nadal will play Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov who eliminated Roberto Bautista-Agut 7-6(7-5), 4-6, 6-2 in a tough three-set duel. Also booking a semifinal berth was Australian Nick Kyrgios. He was leading 6-3, 3-0 when his opponent Steve Darcis of Belgium retired with a shoulder problem. Kyrgios will face World No.4 Germany’s Alexander Zverev who trounced Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-2, 6-3.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, top seed Marin Cilic strolled into the Japan Open semifinals with a dominant 6-2, 6-0 victory over American Ryan Harrison.
The Croatian won 20 of 21 points on his first serve and racked up 11 aces as he saw off the World No.52 in less an hour to set up a last four date with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, who saw off the challenge of local hope, Yuichi Sugita 6-2 6-4.
Fourth seed David Goffin stayed on track for a final showdown with Cilic after beating Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-2 in his first meeting with the Frenchman.
Goffin will next meet Argentine eighth seed Diego Schwartzman who eased past Steve Johnson of America 6-0, 7-5.
Agencies
