Shanghai: Rafael Nadal moved in to the
semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters today when injured Ivan
Ljubicic retired with a leg problem to hand a 3-6, 6-3 win to
the top-seeded Spaniard.
Nadal expressed disappointment at the bitter ending as
the veteran Croatian could not go on at an event peppered with
pullouts all week, including by Wimbledon finalist Andy
Roddick and US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro.
"I'm sorry for Ivan," said the world number two, who has
shared in physical problems this season. "I wish him a fast
recovery.
"I know how tough it is to be injured," said the player,
who missed his Wimbledon title defence due to knee problems
and also needed a month to recover from an abdominal strain.
Nadal will tomorrow face a surprise opponent in unseeded
compatriot Feliciano Lopez, who continued on the winning
streak of his season. The 28-year-old produced his best
showing of 2009 for a place in the final four with an upset of
ninth seed Robin Soderling 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
"I'm happy to be in the semi-finals," said Nadal. "I'm
also very happy for Feliciano."
"He's been having a difficult year and this is a big
result for him. He will be coming to the court with
confidence. I hope to play a good match and have my chances to
win," Nadal said.
Ljubicic took treatment on his leg and finally pulled the
plug at the start of the third set after just over 90 minutes.
Soderling, who played the Roland Garros final against
Roger Federer, led 4-2 in the opening set before Lopez, 28 and
ranked 41st, seized the momentum to win in 94 minutes, with
three breaks of serve and 30 unforced errors by the Swede.
Frenchman Gilles Simon put up a fight before second seed
Novak Djokovic struggled through into his second straight
semi-final in China with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 win in their
quarter-final.
Second seed Novak Djokovic backed up his Beijing title of
last weekend as he overcame stiff resistance to advance into
the last four, with Simon saving a pair of match points.
The Serb broke to start the opening set before Simon,
winner of the Bangkok title last month, retaliated by taking
the second. A run of breaks in the third finally ended with
Djokovic taking a 4-2 lead on his way to his 66th win of the
season and a semi-final spot in his fifth Masters 1000 of the
season.
Nikolay Davydenko moved closer to a spot in next month's
season-ending showpiece in London with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 defeat
of Radek Stepanek in his quarter-final.
The Russian sixth seed, who missed three months of the
season with injuries but has still reached a dozen
quarter-finals in 2009, leapfrogged Frenchman Jo-Wilfried
Tsonga and Chile's Fernando Gonzalez to stand provisional
ninth in the race to the World Tour Finals.
Three places remain up for grabs in the eight-man field
with a month of the regular ATP season to go.
The Russian is trying to complete the autumn Asian swing
with a second title after lifting his third of the season in
Kuala Lumpur a fortnight ago.
"I've had good results in Asia for three weeks," he said.
"I still have three more tournaments this season. I hope I can
play well (at the final Masters 1000 of the season) a Paris
Bercy and defend my semi-final there."
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, October 16, 2009, 23:13