Saturday, November 03, 2012
Janowicz continues magical run in Paris
By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) - Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz continued his brilliant run at the Paris Masters on Friday while fourth seed David Ferrer knocked out French hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Spaniard Ferrer ruthlessly dismissed 2008 winner Tsonga 6-2 7-5 to set up a semi-final against American Sam Querrey or Frenchman Michael Llodra.
Serb Janko Tipsarevic, who had on Thursday claimed the last spot for next week's World Tour Finals in London, withdrew when trailing 3-6 6-1 4-1 against Janowicz and having called the trainer on to the court one game earlier.
Organisers said he had been suffering with fatigue from the end of the first set.
While the crowd booed Tipsarevic, world number 69 Janowicz celebrated becoming the first qualifier to progress to the last four since 2004.
The unseeded Janowicz, who eliminated world number three Andy Murray on Thursday, showed signs of nerves at the start and dropped his serve in the second game.
However, his mix of raw power from the baseline and cunning drop shots eventually wore down Tipsarevic who simply ran out of ideas.
The 21-year-old Janowicz next faces Frenchman Gilles Simon who advanced with a 6-4 6-4 win over Czech fifth seed Tomas Berdych.
The unseeded Simon, who reached the quarter-finals after Japanese Kei Nishikori withdrew due to an ankle injury, was too good for Berdych in front of his home crowd.
Simon trailed 4-1 in the second set but fought back to win five games in a row, wrapping up the contest with an ace on his second match point.
Tsonga, who also secured a berth in the World Tour Finals on Thursday, was never in the hunt against a focused Ferrer, the highest-ranked player left in the draw after Murray and world number two Novak Djokovic had been dumped out.
Ferrer, who did not face a single break point, raced through the first set and although the sixth-seeded Frenchman increased the pressure in the second, Tsonga was too sloppy to seriously trouble his opponent.
Tsonga was 0-40 down in the 12th game. He saved two match points with decent first serves but then sent a routine forehand wide on the third.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
Related Stories:
Janowicz stars as sleepless in Paris
- Mixed reaction to Chong Wei’s remarks on Lin Dan’s wild card
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Badminton: Coaches voice out frustration over new lighting system at Putra Stadium at Bukit Jalil
- Cai Lin breaks 200m freestyle record
- Djokovic crashes in Rome, ailing Sharapova pulls out, Federer wins
- China play it cool; Past records mean nothing, says chief coach Yongbo
- Learn Spanish Hafizh as part of plan to conquer MotoGP
- Table tennis: Leading Chinese quartet power into last 16 of world meet
- Shankar hopes Sri Lanka will shine at Sudirman Cup
- NBA: Kings sold to group led by India's Ranadive for more than US$535mil
- Shields up to push claim for higher honours
- Dane Hoyer Larsen elected BWF president
- Crusaders slap down upstart Blues in soggy Christchurch
- Cycling: Leader Van Garderen wins California time trial
- Golf: Keegan Bradley maintains Byron Nelson lead
- Golf: Korda seizes lead at Mobile Bay LPGA
- Bradley stays in charge, Guan exits
- Hall of Famer Venturi dies aged 82
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Rugby: It's all I have to play for, says Wilkinson
