Sports News

Djokovic secures Masters semifinal spot

Published: Nov. 11, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Order reprints
Novak Djokovic, shown while playing in the 2008 U.S. Open, recorded a three-set victory Tuesday and qualified for the semifinals of the Masters Cup tournament in Shanghai, China. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff)
Novak Djokovic, shown while playing in the 2008 U.S. Open, recorded a three-set victory Tuesday and qualified for the semifinals of the Masters Cup tournament in Shanghai, China. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff) | Enlarge Enlarge
SHANGHAI, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Novak Djokovic qualified for the semifinals of the Master Cup tennis tournament with a three-set win Tuesday over Nikolay Davydenko in Shanghai.

Djokovic was shutout in the second set but took the first set in a tiebreaker and was able to record a decisive break in the third for a 7-6 (7-3), 0-6, 7-5 win in the second day of Gold Group round-robin play.

Djokovic managed to win just nine points in the second set but had his serve broken just once in the first and third sets.

Tuesday's other match saw Juan Martin del Potro stop Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a tight 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5). Tsonga fired 17 aces at del Potro but was hampered by 38 unforced errors. One of those errors was a backhand return into the net that gave del Potro the first set.

The results put Djokovic (2-0) in control of the Gold Group. Davydenko and del Potro, both 1-1, meet Thursday with the group's other semifinal berth at stake. Tsonga (0-2) goes against Djokovic in the other round-robin match Thursday.

Wednesday's Red Group round-robin matches have Andy Murray meeting Gilles Simon, with the winner going to 2-0 in likely locking up a semifinals spot, and Roger Federer playing Andy Roddick, with the loser there likely out of the semifinals running.


© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Teens in sports less likely to smoke (2 min)
Gallup: Obama's approval slips (5 min)
Al-qaida allies behead seven Somalis (10 min)
MLB: Boston 1, Kansas City 0 (13 min)
MLB: Cincinnati 3, New York Mets 0 (26 min)
MLB: Philadelphia 3, Pittsburgh 2 (29 min)
Couple with large adoptive family killed (37 min)
fark
Photoshop these creepy earrings
Patronizing Tijuana hookers while on drugs may be unhealthy, according to Dr. N.S. Sherlock, of...
Defense lawyers request words like "polygamy,""cult" and "compound" not be used in their client's...
TSG Mugshot roundup: Twin billing
Barbie-Con visitors split on major issue: Are you allowed to open her box and play with it?
It's been 10 years since "The Blair Witch Project." Where were you when this crappy, one-joke, overhyped...