DUBAI: Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic extended his unbeaten run in 2013 to 11 matches Thursday, routing Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-0, 6-3 to reach the semifinals of the Dubai Championships.
The top-ranked Serb improved to 10-0 against Seppi as he seeks a fourth title in Dubai. Djokovic broke three times in the first set and once in the second, using a strong first serve in which he won 89 percent of points and a powerful forehand to cruise to victory.
Djokovic will play fourth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina, who repeated his semifinal effort last year in dispatching German qualifier Daniel Brands 6-4, 6-2.
In the other half of the draw, third-seeded Tomas Berdych beat Russian wild card Dmitry Tursunov for the second time in five days, 6-3, 6-2. Berdych will play either five-time champ Roger Federer or former No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals. Del Potro managed to neutralize the big-serving Brands and offered up some of his own firepower, hitting seven aces including six in the first set. He also said his right wrist, which he injured in 2010, was not bothering him as much as it did earlier in the tournament and that he now “could play 100 percent.”
The first set was tight as both players held serve through the first nine games until mistakes from the 97th-ranked German allowed Del Potro to break him and win the set. The second was much easier, as Del Potro broke Brands twice — winning the match when Brands double faulted.
“I served well today. I didn’t (concede) any break points. I think I took all my chances to break his serve,” Del Potro said.
Del Potro said he was satisfied his wrist was holding up, adding he will need it should he come up against Djokovic.
“The good thing is I’m not getting worse. I can hit my backhand often day by day, and it’s a good thing to be 100 percent,” he said. “I know against Djokovic tomorrow or (Andreas) Seppi I need to hit my backhand 100 percent and then see if I have a little chance to win.”
Berdych also served well against Tursunov, hitting nine aces and winning 81 percent of his first-service points. He also did well to move the Russian around the court, aware that Tursunov’s sore left hamstring limited his mobility.
In a close first set, Berdych broke Tursunov to go up 4-2 and won the set with a love service game. He broke twice go up 4-1 in the second and was never challenged after that.
Berdych said he benefited from Tursunov playing hurt.
“I know the situation. If you are in the position of playing one of the top guys and actually you don’t feel well, you just have a small issue in your body, it’s just a terrible match,” Berdych said. “But at least you want to try. You never know what’s going to happen. But once you are not really 100 percent ready, then it’s tough.”
Tursunov, who lost to Berdych last weekend in the Marseille semifinals, said he was considering pulling out of the Indian Wells qualifiers next week due to the injury.
Hsieh in semis
In Kuala Lumpur, second seed and defending champion Hsieh Su Wei of Taiwan overcame fatigue, leg cramps and two opponents yesterday to reach the quarterfinals of the rain-delayed BMW Malaysian Open.
Hsieh, who ranks world No. 23 and is hoping to become the first player to successfully defend the title, started her day by beating Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-4 in a match held over from Wednesday.
She was leading 4-3 when the match was halted Wednesday due to rain. She needed another two hours to complete her first round match Thursday and was back on court three and a half hours later to face Zhang Shuai of China.
Hsieh, who needed two medical times against Nara, was energised by her break and romped past Zhang 6-3, 6-3 in 73 minutes.
The 27-year-old will now face wildcard entry Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who stormed into the quarterfinals when she crushed Duan Ying-Ying of China 6-1, 6-4.
The bubbly blonde, who is known as the Lady Gaga of tennis after attending the 2011 pre-Wimbledon party in a dress made of tennis balls created by the pop star’s designer Alex Noble, hardly broke a sweat as she brushed aside her opponent.
The colorful American, who also sports several tattoos, was one of five players to secure quarterfinal berths so far.
The others who have qualified for the quarterfinals are Japanese fourth seed Ayumi Morita, Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum and third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenko of Russia.
Mattek-Sands, who won the doubles title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last weekend with India’s Sania Mirza, said: “I’ve never won any singles title before, even though I have reached a few finals.
“Maybe that first win will come in Malaysia.” Once ranked world No. 30, Mattek-Sands has slipped to 197th.
