Pakistan’s ace tennis player Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and his Indian teammate Rohan Bopanna on Monday stormed into the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the French Open tennis tournament in Paris.
The fifth-seeded India-Pakistan pair defeated Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan and Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 7-5.
They will now play top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan who overcame a stiff resistance from Russias Teymuraz Gabashvili and Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 7-6(6), 7-5.
Earlier, Qureshi and his mixed doubles partner, Kveta Peschke lost 6-4, 6-4 to Jarmila Gajdosova and Thomaz Bellucci in the second round.
NADAL BATTLES THROUGH
Champion Rafa Nadal played three decent sets and Novak Djokovic none at all as the leading duo progressed in the French Open on Monday and injury-hit Andy Murray battled to stay in the tournament.
Champion Rafa Nadal played three decent sets and Novak Djokovic none at all as the leading duo progressed in the French Open on Monday and injury-hit Andy Murray battled to stay in the tournament.
A rematch of last year’s final between Spaniard Nadal and Sweden’s Robin Soderling beckons in the last eight, a round in-form Djokovic gets to skip after Fabio Fognini pulled out of the clay grand slam and Tuesday’s match with injury.
Briton Murray decided to soldier on with his ankle problem and after whacking his foot with his racket in anger and ripping his bandage off, he came back from two sets down to level at 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 against Viktor Troicki when bad light stopped play.
Maria Sharapova sounded in pain judging by her grunts but was in fact all smiles as she shot her arms into the air in jubilation after reaching the women’s quarters with an inconsistent 7-6 7-5 win over Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska.
As the first rain spots of the tournament began to drip on fans zig-zagging their way among the Roland Garros boutiques and snack stalls, Nadal was criss-crossing centre court in his usual all-action style even if he is still not quite at his best.
“I’m playing well but there are moments where I make a few mistakes in a row,” the five-times winner told reporters.
“I have to hit the ball with a little more conviction.”
Soderling, who beat Nadal in the last 16 in 2009, bashed Gilles Simon 6-2 6-3 7-6 on a stunned Court Philippe Chatrier.
There was some cheer for the French fans though as Gael Monfils roared back to overcome seventh seed David Ferrer 6-4 2-6 7-5 1-6 8-6 and progress to meet Roger Federer on Tuesday.
Monfils and Marion Bartoli reaching the last eight is the first time two French players have made it so far in their home grand slam since 2002.
Australian Open runner-up Li Na, the first Chinese to reach the quarter-finals in Paris, outlasted Czech ninth seed Petra Kvitova 2-6 6-1 6-3 at the start of another humid day on which forecast thunderstorms never appeared.
After a lightning-quick third-round victory over Sorana Cirstea, sixth seed Li was given a much tougher test but again impressed the tennis connoisseurs with her dogged determination.
She battled back from an early break in the third set to prevail and prompted the suited gentlemen in the galleries to tip their panama hats in appreciation.
“It was tough, like 3-0 down in the final set. I didn’t believe I could come back, because she has a huge big serve,” said Li, whose nervous husband and ex-coach could not watch.
“So I don’t know what happened. Maybe just my husband left and I could win six games in a row,” she joked.
Djokovic was already looking unstoppable in his bid for a first French Open title and now he will get an extra day’s rest.
The Serb’s quarter-final opponent Fognini pulled out of Tuesday’s slated match after failing to recover from a thigh injury sustained in Sunday’s five-setter with Albert Montanes.
The second seed is on a 41-match winning streak since the start of the year, just one behind John McEnroe’s 1984 record.
His progression through to the last eight will not count as part of the streak, officials confirmed, so the world number two must lift the trophy if he is to break the American’s mark here.
Federer may loom in the semi and victory would give Djokovic the world number one spot whatever incumbent Nadal does.
Murray, who twisted his ankle in Saturday’s win over Michael Berrer, faced a wait to get on Court Suzanne Lenglen with possible last-eight opponent Juan Ignacio Chela taking almost four hours to overcome Alejandro Falla in five sets.
The Monfils match then finished having been suspended due to bad light on Sunday before emerging women’s contender Victoria Azarenka thrashed Ekaterina Makarova 6-2 6-3.
Murray eventually appeared on court looking well but his face began to crumple as Serb Troicki exploited the Scot’s slight lack of movement before Murray showed superb resilience.
The women’s draw has been blown wide open by the top three seeds all crashing out.
Seventh seed Sharapova sprinkled the court with unforced errors but hung in to defeat Poland’s Radwanska with the three-times grand slam champion’s title odds shortening as the most experienced name left.
Seventh seed Sharapova sprinkled the court with unforced errors but hung in to defeat Poland’s Radwanska with the three-times grand slam champion’s title odds shortening as the most experienced name left.
The Russian faces Andrea Petkovic in the last eight after the German undid Maria Kirilenko 6-2 2-6 6-4
news covered by dawn sports
No comments:
Post a Comment