Roger Federer overcame a lingering sickness to hold off Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4 on Friday and take his title defense into the semifinals at the Brisbane International.
Another former winner, the unseeded Victoria Azarenka, moved into the women’s final by seeing off US qualifier Samantha Crawford 6-0, 6-3.
After the men’s semifinals on Saturday, the women’s final will feature two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka against No. 4-seeded Angelique Kerber, who beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-3.
Azarenka won Brisbane in 2009, and hasn’t won any title since 2013. After two seasons interrupted by injuries, she’s regaining form while many of the leading women are dealing with injuries in the run-up to the Australian Open which starts in 10 days.
“I’m feeling pretty good right now,” she said, “I’m not saying anything besides that.”
Federer is approaching the tournament from a different angle. He delayed his opening match at the Australian Open warmup until fifth day because of a flu-like illness, and was playing Dimitrov in the quarterfinals on less than 24 hours rest.
His serve in the first set was almost flawless, dropping just two points, and he appeared to be on course with break-point chances for another straight-set victory over the young Bulgarian — sometimes likened to him because of their similar styles — before Dimitrov rallied.
After wasting a chance to serve out the second set in a nervous 10th game, Dimitrov dominated the tiebreaker and forced a decider.
Federer, after showing signs of fatigue in the second, took a quick break before the third, and then went on a roll to set up three match points in the ninth game. Again, Dimitrov rallied, winning five consecutive points and forcing Federer to serve it out — which the 17-time major winner duly did.
“I’m not going to tell you too much, but it was tough in a way,” Federer said of his illness. “Body is not quite ready, so it’s good to get through it without any issues.”
By holding off Dimitrov, who is 10 years his junior, Federer set up a meeting with 22-year-old Dominic Thiem, the youngest player in the top 20.
Thiem beat third-seeded Marin Cilic 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 and said he was hoping to play Federer.
The other semifinal will feature 2015 finalist Milos Raonic a 6-4, 6-4 winner over No. 78-ranked lucas Pouille, against Bernard Tomic.
Tomic ended 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori’s streak of three straight semifinal appearances at Brisbane with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 win, his first over a top-10 player on home soil.
mirza-Hingis in Final
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis continued their stupendous run by clinching their 25th victory together to enter the final of the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament here on Friday.
The top-seeded Indo-Swiss duo defeated the Slovak-Russian combination of Andreja Klepac and Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 7-5 to make the summit clash.
Sania and Hingis, currently the world’s No.1 team, breezed past their rivals in the opening set before facing slight resistance in the second.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve lost, but it’s never easy to start a new season, especially when you’re coming off such a great season. Everyone’s gunning for us we’re the hunted,” Sania said.
“We’re just taking it one match at a time, stay positive, and pick up from where we left off.”
Sania and Hingis won five titles last season and their unbeaten streak is the longest since Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci’s 25 in a row in 2012.
“I think we’re off to a great start in the new season. We never really felt like we finished in 2015 - I played the Indian league and Sania played IPTl, so we still kept our routine,” Hingis said. “We’re really happy to have the possibility to be in another final here, and win another title.”
In Auckland, New Zealand, Julia Goerges reached her sixth WTA final and her first in four years when she beat qualifier Tamira Paszek 6-4, 6-2 in the ASB Classic semifinals.
Sloane Stephens was leading 5-2 in the first set of the other semifinal match against third-seeded Caroline Wozniacki when rain halted play, forcing it to be postponed to Saturday.
Aus green in hopman cup Final
Perth: At the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia Green sealed its spot in the final against Ukraine by defeating France 2-1.
Nick Kyrgios gave the home team the lead when he beat Kenny De Schepper 6-4, 6-4, Caroline Garcia leveled for France with a 6-4, 7-6 (7) win over Daria Gavrilova, and the Australian pair won the mixed doubles decider 6-4, 2-6, 11-9.
In the Hopman Cup’s 27-year history, host Australia has won it only once, in 1999.”It’s an event that’s been held for a long, long time — before I was even born,” the 20-year-old Kyrgios said. “It’s pretty special. Me and Dasha, we grew up together in juniors. Hopefully we can bring it home.”
Also, Britains’ Andy Murray and Heather Watson beat the Germany team of Alexander Zverev and Sabine lisicki 3-0.
Radwanska in final
SHENZHEN: Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to the final of the Shenzhen Open with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Anna-lena Friedsam on Friday, ensuring she will jump past Maria Sharapova to No. 4 in the rankings just in time for seeding at the upcoming Australian Open.
Radwanska has been in stellar form since last year’s US Open, winning 21 of 25 matches and collecting titles in Tokyo, Tianjin and the WTA Finals in Singapore.
Radwanska will face Alison Riske in the final after the American beat Timea Babos 6-2, 6-4.
Safarova pulls out of Aus Open
MElBOURNE: The WTA Tour says French Open finalist lucie Safarova has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of the lingering effects of a bacterial infection she picked up last year.
Safarova also tweeted: “As an athlete I’m used to fight on court to win. Today it’s off court to get my health back...”