Rafael Nadal beat a top-five player for the first time in more than a year with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win over Stan Wawrinka on Friday to reach the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters.
Top-seeded Novak Djokovic also advanced with his 15th consecutive victory, holding off Australia’s Bernard Tomic in a tight first-set tiebreaker before closing it out 7-6 (6), 6-1.
Nadal hadn’t won against a top-five player since last year’s French Open final when he defeated Djokovic for his 14th Grand Slam title.
It was Nadal’s most lopsided win over Wawrinka in 15 meetings. He spent more time practicing before the match (80 minutes) than he did on Stadium Court (63 minutes). “Obviously, when you play against the best players, you want to play well and be competitive,” he said. “I am happy. I am working so hard every day, with the right energy, I believe.”
Djokovic was tested for the first time in his two-week swing through China. Until Friday, he hadn’t lost more than five games in any of his five matches last week on his way to the title at the China Open and in his first two matches in Shanghai.
Tomic pressed him in the first set, rallying from 2-4 down to force a tiebreaker and then saving two set points before Djokovic finally converted on the third.
Although Tomic didn’t have much fight left in the second set, he’s projected to rise to a career-high ranking of No. 18 on Monday.
Meanwhile, Rohan Bopanna reached the semifinals of an ATP masters for the second time this season when he and lukasz Kubot downed Max Mirnyi and Feliciano lopez in straight sets, here on Friday.
The eighth seeded Indo-Polish pair overcame the Belarus-Spanish combine 6-4 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the $7,021,335 hard court tournament.
Saketh reaches semis
Ho Chi Minh City: Saketh Myneni dispatched Frenchman Tristan lamasine in a three-setter to progress to the singles semifinals of the ATP Vietnam Open on Friday.
Fourth seed Myneni overcame the challenge of his singles rival 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. later in the day, Sanam Singh and Saketh rallied to beat Italian qualifiers Alessandro Bega and Fabbiano 5-7 6-4 10-5 in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, Yuki Bhambri was locked in an engrossing battle with home favourite and top seed Denis Istomin in the singles semifinal of the Tashent Challenger before rain forced suspension of play.
The Indian was leading the world number 6-7, 6-4, 3-4 when skies opened up and the match could not be re-started. The match will be completed on Saturday.