Djokovic keeps winning streak going

ROME, May 13 (UPI) -- Novak Djokovic won the last nine games Friday, extending his 2011 match record to 35-0 during the quarterfinals of Rome's BNL Intentional tennis tournament.

Djokovic, No. 2 in the world, broke a 3-3 first-set tie against fifth-seeded Robin Soderling by winning a 12-point game. He didn't lose another game the rest of the match for a 6-3, 6-0 win. Djokovic, who improved to 6-1 lifetime versus Soderling, won 73 percent of the points in the second-set rout.

However, Rafael Nadal had already posted a lopsided win of his own, grabbing a semifinal berth that assures him of holding the world No. 1 ranking out of Djokovic's reach for at least one more week.

Nadal, 35-5 on the year (0-3 against Djokovic) took out Marin Cilic 6-1, 6-3 without facing a break point.

His semifinal opponent Saturday is 16th-seeded Richard Gasquet, who upset No. 7 Tomas Berdych 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. There were only six breaks in the match but Gasquet had four of them.

Fourth-seeded Andy Murray earned a shot at Djokovic with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Florian Mayer. Murray won 67 percent of the points after the first set.

Djokovic is 5-3 against Murray, including a win in the finals at the Australian Open this year. Nadal owns an 8-0 record versus Gasquet.