Two-time defending champion Maria Sharapova needed eight match points to put away top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-3 for a place in the Porsche Grand Prix semifinals on Friday.
Sharapova has won 11 consecutive matches on Stuttgart’s indoor clay.Radwanska played her best tennis in the penultimate game, when she fought off six match points and finally broke Sharapova’s serve.But Radwanska could not keep the momentum and Sharapova’s forehand winner down the line gave her two more match points.Sharapova wasted the first with a wild forehand that was both long and wide, but then nailed a forehand winner to the corner to end the match.
Nishikori, Gulbis win Barcelona: Kei Nishikori of Japan and Ernests Gulbis of latvia overpowered opponents to reach the Barcelona Open semifinals on Friday.Fourth-seeded Nishikori continued his good run since returning from a groin injury with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Marin Cilic of Croatia.He goes on to play ninth-seeded Gulbis after the latvian dismissed Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-1, 6-4.Gulbis saved all five break points against Gabashvili, who had knocked out fifth-ranked David Ferrer.
late Friday, eight-time champion Rafael Nadal faced fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in a rematch of last year’s final. The winner of that quarterfinal plays either Philipp Kohlschreiber or Santiago Giraldo.