Yahoo Fantasy Hockey / ESPN Fantasy Hockey / NHL Live!
TOKYO — Third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada booked his spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over unseeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria.
Raonic hit 11 aces in a match that lasted just 1 hour, 14 minutes.
Raonic will play unseeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, who downed qualifier Michal Przysiezny of Poland 6-4, 7-6 (5).
“I felt I played well,” Raonic said. “I dealt with adversity well in the second set after going down a break. I served well and took advantage of my opportunities.”
Raonic is on course for a potential meeting with Nishikori in the finals on Sunday. Raonic, ranked eighth, has lost in the final here the previous two years. Nishikori beat him for the title in 2012, while Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina denied him the crown last year.
But with this week in Japan, plus Shanghai next week and then three final weeks in Europe, there is plenty of tennis left to play.
Raonic secured his victory over Melzer with a modest 11 aces — half for his total in the previous round — breaking the Austrian three times.
Melzer had his left ankle wrapped at the start of the second set, but his physical problem did not see to impair his mobility.
Raonic took the opening set in 36 minutes on his first set point with a break of Melzer.
In the second, Raonic went up a break for 2-0 but lost the edge in the fifth game, with Melzer getting the break back after putting Raonic in a 0-30 hole.
The 23-year-old Canadian was caught out by two straight passing winners to drop the game, 3-2. Melzer levelled at 3-all a game later on an ace.
Raonic earned a second break for 5-3 after Melzer was caught out by a down-the-line winner. Raonic served out his 41st win of the season a game later to advance.
Fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 7-6 (4) to advance to the quarterfinals as well.
Nishikori, ranked seventh in the world, used his solid baseline game to capitalize on several unforced errors by Young.
With Nishikori leading 4-3 in the tiebreaker, Young double-faulted. Nishikori then ended a rally with a crosscourt forehand to set up match point and closed it out when Young hit a return into the net.
Young had a set point in the second set, but Nishikori held to force the tiebreaker.
"There were some tough moments in the second set, including when he had the set point," Nishikori said. "It wasn’t easy. I just tried to save my serve and rely on my forehand. I think I was returning well."
The 24-year-old Nishikori, who won the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday for his third ATP tour title of the season, will take on France’s Jeremy Chardy, who ousted seventh-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 6-4.
CBS Sports Fantasy Hockey / Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup 2014 Champions
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
No comments:
Post a Comment