Black Tennis Pros

 

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(L-R) Nicolas Almagro and Tsonga

A day after knocking out two-time Rogers Cup champion Roger Federer, Tsonga delivered another strong performance, dismissing the eighth-seeded Almagro in one hour and 28 minutes.

The Frenchman won 70 per cent of his service points, and saved three break points in the final game to lock up the quarter-final win. The victory increased Tsonga’s undefeated record against Almagro to a 5-0 mark. "I was a bit tired today. I lacked energy. The match yesterday took a lot of stamina, and today my energy level was low," admitted Tsonga. "Therefore, I decided to focus on only a number of return games and try to focus on holding my serve. It was a way for me to save the energy I had left, not playing hard every game."

 
Tsonga is into the semi-finals for the second time at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Canada, after reaching the final four in Montreal two years ago. The 26 year old is looking to win his first title in 2011, having finished runner-up in Rotterdam (l. to Soderling) and the AEGON Championships in London (l. to Murray). Tsonga's biggest title to date came on home soil, when he claimed the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris three years ago (d. Nalbandian).

The World No. 16 and Djokovic have met eight times, and Tsonga holds a 5-3 edge. Djokovic won their most recent meeting, defeating the Frenchman in four sets in the Wimbledon semi-finals. "The last match was very close, very intense, very important for both of us," Djokovic said. "He's been playing better in last couple of months. I think he increased his level. He's and all around player. He can play pretty well on all surfaces. He has a big serve. If he serves well, he can beat anybody. He showed that in previous couple of tournaments.

"So it's going to be tough one. It's a fast surface. I need to return well and hope that I can get some chances."

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Lucie Safarova, CZE

 (Reuters) - A battle-tested Serena Williams booked her spot in the semi-finals of the Toronto Cup on Friday after overcoming a sluggish start to grind out a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win over Czech Lucie Safarova.

Williams, whose 11-month layoff with injury and health problems ended in June, was a shadow of herself in the first set but rallied with raw power and shot-making to wrap up the match without losing serve in the last two sets.

"I could have had a better chance in the first set but I lost some key points," Williams, who won the Stanford Classic last month and is on a nine-match winning streak, told reporters.

"It was all about maybe one or two points here that would've made a difference and some silly double faults that didn't make sense."


 
The third set went with serve until Williams broke world number 32 Safarova in an intense fifth game in which she unleashed several loud screams to get herself going.

The vocal strategy seemed to pay off as she wrapped up the match without conceding another game.

The former world number one, unseeded here because of her long layoff, faces her toughest test yet against Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who has not lost a set en route to the semi-finals and is the highest seeded player left in the draw.

Azarenka ended Kazakh qualifier Galina Voskoboeva's surprise run with a clinical 6-1 6-2 victory.

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World No. 1 Novak Djokovic improved to 7-0 against Gael Monfils, overwhelming the No. 5 seed 6-2, 6-1 in the Rogers Cup quarter-finals on Friday evening. He will square off against 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals, as Tsonga advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 8 seed Nicolas Almagro.

After facing a break point in the opening game, it was smooth sailing for the Serbian. Monfils held to get to 2-2, but Djokovic reeled off nine consecutive games to put the match out of the Frenchman’s hands. Monfils fought in the final game, creating two break point opportunities, but the top seed closed the door to seal the victory in one hour and 14 minutes. "I have played the best match of the tournament, no doubt. Everything was going well," said Djokovic. "I had a difficult game on two-all to hold my serve. After that, when I made the first break, it was incredible. 9, 10 games in a row. I'm happy to see my game is progressing each day."

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Round 1


Serena Williams, USA defeated Alona Bondarenko, UKR

Round 2

Serena Williams, USA defeated Julia Goerges, GER

Round 3

Serena Williams, USA defeated Jie Zheng(Q), CHN
4-6, 6-3, 6-3

Quarterfinal Round

Serena Williams, USA defeated Lucie Safarova, CZE

Semifinal Round

Serena Williams, USA vs. Victoria Azarenka, BLR



Round 1

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
Barbara Zahlalova Strycova, CZE and Iveta Benesova, CZE

Round 2

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Abigail Spears, USA
Su-Wei Hsieh, TPE and Galina Voskoboeva, KAZ


Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Heather Watson, GBR
Stephanie Foretz Gacon, FRA



Round 1

Gael Monfils (5) FRA, vs. BYE

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Fabio Fognini,ITA

Round 2

Gael Monfils (5), FRA defeated Alex Bogomolov, Jr. (Q), USA

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Bernard Tomic (WC), AUS

Round 3

Gael Monfils (5), FRA defeated Viktor Troicki (12), SRB

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Roger Federer (3), SUI
7-6(3), 4-6, 6-1

Quarterfinal Round

Gael Monfils (5), FRA defeated by Novak Djokovic (1), SRB

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA defeated Nicolas Almagro, ESP

Semifinal Round

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (13), FRA vs. Novak Djokovic (1), SRB


Round 1

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
Alexander Dolgopolov, UKR and Dick Norman, VEL

Gael Monfils, FRA and Pablo Andujar, ESP
Sergiy Stakhovsky, UKR and Mikhail Youzhny, RUS

Round 2

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
Robert Lindstedt, SWE and Horia Tecau, ROU
6-4, 6-3

Round 3


Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA and Stanislas Wawrinka, SUI
vs.
Max Mirnyi, BLR and Daniel Nestor, CAN

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Nicholas Monroe, USA

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TORONTO — Venus Williams withdrew from the WTA Tour's Rogers Cup starting on Monday because of illness, according to organizers.

Williams said she wasn't feeling well and consulted a doctor on Sunday.

She was diagnosed with a viral illness and said she was "extremely disappointed" she won't be able to play in Toronto.

Qualifier Zhang Shuai of China steps into Williams' first-round match Tuesday against former world number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.

Lourdes Dominguez Lino got the extra berth in the draw.

The strong Rogers Cup field still includes Williams' sister, Serena, and world number one Caroline Wozniacki, No. 2 Kim Clijsters and No. 5 Maria Sharapova.

Serena Williams, who missed 11 months with a string of health problems, returned in June and won the WTA title in Stanford in late July.

Venus Williams, ranked 34th in the world, has had a disappointing season hampered by hip and abdominal injuries.

"I was really excited to play Toronto," Venus Williams said in a statement. "I came here ready to go and was practicing. I wasn't feeling very well and had to see the doctor today.

"I was diagnosed with a viral illness and unfortunately am unable to play. I am extremely disappointed. I'm very sorry to the fans and tournament."

The talent-laden Toronto tournament is a tuneup for the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open that starts on August 29 in New York.

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WASHINGTON DC - Seventh-ranked Monfils, in his first US final and his first final of any kind since last year's Paris Masters, fell to 3-11 in ATP title matches, foiled in a bid for his first outdoor hardcourt crown and fourth career title.


"To be honest, I'm unlucky," Monfils said of his finals failure rate.

Monfils, who never managed a break point against Stepanek, also said he was a bit tired after his rain-hit semi-final finished only 14 hours before the final started.

"But when you step on the court you forget about this," Monfils said.

Stepanek came to the net for 29 of his 57 points. While connecting on only 37 percent of his first serves, he won 90 percent of those points, including all 12 in the final set, and took 63 percent of second-serve points.

"He didn't miss much," Monfils said. "I was a fraction slower as well. I couldn't hit many passing shots. He played a great match."

Fromn the start, Stepanek moved to keep Monfils on the defensive.

"I wanted to be in control," Stepanek said. "If I was going to go for it or miss it I wanted to decide all the points. It was my game plan to be aggressive and attack when I can. I was in control from the first point to the last."

Stepanek broke Monfils with a backhand winner down the line in the third game of the match and led 3-2 when rain halted play. A break in the rain allowed them to play three points, enough for Stepanek to hold to 4-2, before another downpour hit.

"He was very aggressive," Monfils said. "I expected that but he didn't miss a lot at the start, hit it pretty deep and fast. This was a bit tricky for me."

When play resumed, each man held twice, Stepanek taking the set on a service winner after 54 minutes.

Stepanek broke Monfils again to open the second set, the Frenchman racing down the Czech's forehand volley but netting a forehand. Stepanek made the break stand, serving out to win after 93 minutes with a forehand volley winner.

Stepanek, the oldest player in the world's top 100, became the ATP's oldest champion since France's Fabrice Santoro at 35 at Newport in 2008, Washington's eldest winner since a 35-year-old Connors and a top-30 player after starting the week ranked 54th.

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