Serena Advances, Djokovic v Tomic Thurs. at Indian Wells
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Serena Williams on Wednesday night set up a semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells against a player who handed her the most devastating loss of her 2014 season.
The world No. 1 last night entered the semifinal round after squashing the 15-match winning streak of Timea Bacsinszky, the No. 27 seed, 7-5, 6-3. Bacsinszky entered Indian Wells winning back-to-back titles in Acapulco and Monterrey.
The Swiss broke the world No. 1 to start the match.
“I played well, but sometimes playing well isn’t enough against Serena,” Bacsinszky said. “I think I was giving her a hard time, so I give all the credit to her — she was just stronger out there today.”
In the telling stat, Williams hit twice as many winners as the Swiss.
Serena in the semifinals will meet No. 3 seed Simona Halep, who was likewise tested early in a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 victory over No. 12 seed Carla Suarez Navarro.
“She was opening the court pretty well with the angles, and it’s really tough to play and hit the balls from wide in the court, so I knew I had to start playing more aggressively and hit more into the court,” Halep said about turning the match around. “I just tried to relax my body and my mind, fight for every point and play my best.”
Serena says this time she is full aware of the capabilities of Halep after getting run over last year in round robin play at the year-end WTA Championships.
“I expect her to be playing an incredible game,” Williams said. “I don’t think I was necessarily ready for that the first time. I’m ready for her to be the great player that she’s capable of being.”
In round of 16 play for the men, the lone upset of the day was No. 12 Feliciano Lopez ousting No. 5 Kei Nishikori 6-4, 7-6(2).
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the late match stared down a challenge from John Isner, in the end refusing to blink in taking down the big American 6-4, 7-6(5).
“I played a great game at 3-all in the first set [for the break] and that gave me the first set,” Djokovic said. “And after that it was anybody’s game really. The second set went over 60 minutes. We were both very tight towards the end, and just very fortunate to go through it.”
Djokovic will next meet No. 32 seed Bernard Tomic who kept his comeback roll going, outlasting fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
“He’s getting mentally more confident, more comfortable on the court,” Djokovic said of Tomic. “He starts to believe even more. Perhaps also the success of Kokkinakis and [Nick] Kyrgios motivated him to really get serious and work, and the talent is there, the touch is there, he’s got a game. It’s going to be a tricky match for me.”
Other Top 10-seeded winners were No. 2 Roger Federer easing past unseeded American Jack Sock 6-3, 6-2; No. 3 Rafael Nadal rolling No. 13 Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-4; No. 4 Andy Murray routine-ing Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3; No. 6 Milos Raonic serving past No. 17 Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2; and No. 9 Tomas Berdych struggling past No. 27 Lukas Rosol 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
“I played a very clean match,” said Federer, who will next meet Berdych. “I think I served great. I was also actually returning very well.”
Nadal will next face the giant-serving Raonic.
“He’s an opponent that you don’t want to play against because you play under a lot of pressure, every point,” Nadal said. “I know I need to be at my 100 percent to have any chance.”
Murray on Thursday will meet Lopez, who sits at a career-high No. 12.
“Against Lopez, I’ve got a good record against him, but he’s always a tough opponent because of the way that he plays and the way that he serves,” Murray said. “He’s also still improving. He’s been playing the best tennis of his career these last 18 months or so, and obviously had a great win today against Nishikori.”
INDIAN WELLS THURSDAY SCHEDULE
STADIUM 1 start 11:00 am
[Q] L. Tsurenko (UKR) vs [18] J. Jankovic (SRB)
Not Before 1:00 pm
[4] A. Murray (GBR) vs [12] F. Lopez (ESP)
[1] B. Bryan (USA) / M. Bryan (USA) vs [8] V. Pospisil (CAN) / J. Sock (USA)
Not Before 5:00 pm
[24] S. Lisicki (GER) vs [15] F. Pennetta (ITA)
Not Before 7:00 pm
[1] N. Djokovic (SRB) vs [32] B. Tomic (AUS)
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