Source: CCTV.com

04-18-2009 12:11

Four-time defending champion Rafael Nadal is through to the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters. The Spaniard stretched his winning streak in the tournament to 25 matches by knocking out Ivan Ljubicic. Nadal cancelled out an early break by his rival before going on to wrap up the first set 6-3. It was the same score in the second set - Nadal clinching the match when the Croat tried to end a short rally with a backhand winner that went long. The win followed his third round match on the same day but he showed few signs of fatigue.

Andy Murray completed his third round match against Italy's Fabio Fognini on Friday. Following Thursday's downpour, the match resumed with Murray leading 1-0 in the second set. A wobble saw the fourth seed fall 3-1 behind, but he rallied again to reach a quarter-final on clay for the first time in his career, 7-6, 6-4.

Third-seed Novak Djokovic took on Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinal. After Djokovic took the first set, Verdasco responded well, levelling the match at one-set all after twice breaking serve. But Djokovic broke the Australian Open semi-finalist in the sixth game of the deciding set and closed out the match on serve, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Djokovic will play Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the last four.

In another quarter-final, Wawrinka defeated Andreas Beck. The German qualifier saved two match points with aces but a double fault on the third gave Wawrinka only his second semi-final spot in a Masters series event.(

 

Editor:Shi Taoyang