Djokovic storms into Tokyo semifinals
World’s No. 1 player yet to drop a set at Japan Open
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic continued his dominant form in Tokyo to storm past Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-1, 6-2 and into the semifinals of the Japan Open Tennis Championships on Friday.
Serbian Djokovic served with ruthless efficiency in his previous two matches and more of the same was on display as the 32-year-old fired eight aces and won 82 per cent of points on his first serve to swat aside fifth seed Pouille in 50 minutes.
Meanwhile, world No. 2 Rafael Nadal pulled out of next week’s Shanghai Masters on Friday due to his injured left hand, the ATP announced.
The Spaniard has been dealing with the ailment since being injured during the Laver Cup two weekends ago.
Nadal, who recently won his fourth U.S. Open title, has prevailed in 28 of his past 29 matches. He’s a two-time finalist in Shanghai.
Nadal’s next event is the Paris Masters that begins Oct. 28.
Up next for the 16-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic, who has yet to drop a set in his first Japan Open, is third-seeded Belgian David Goffin, who beat Hyeon Chung of South Korea 6-2, 6-2 in 54 minutes. Goffin has a 12-1 record in the event and won the title in 2017.
Djokovic is playing in his first tournament since retiring from his U.S. Open fourth-round match against Stan Wawrinka because of a problem with his left shoulder.
He has now reached at least the semifinals in six of his past seven tournaments going back to the Madrid Open in May.
Big-serving American Reilly Opelka ended local favourite Yasutaka Uchiyama’s hopes of a maiden ATP Tour semifinal appearance with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over the qualifier.
Opelka, who won his first title at the New York Open in February, next takes on Australian qualifier John Millman in what will be their first career meeting.
Millman eased past Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-0.
At Beijing, top seed Dominic Thiem held off a spirited display from Britain’s Andy Murray in a 6-2, 7-6(3) victory to reach the China Open semifinals on Friday.
Austrian Thiem was off to a flying start as he broke serve in a 14-point opening game, and did so again to move 4-2 up before closing out the first set.
Thiem failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set as he hit three double faults in four points to allow Murray to draw level.
Former world No. 1 Murray, playing his first quarter-final in over a year following career-saving hip surgery in January, forced the second set into tiebreak but Thiem soon rediscovered his rhythm.
Thiem won five of the first six points in the tiebreak before securing a place in his seventh semifinal of the season.
Should Thiem overcome Karen Khachanov in Beijing on Saturday, the 26-year-old will qualify for the season-ending ATP Tour Finals to be held in London from Nov. 10-17.
Alexander Zverev continued his steady progress this week with a 7-6(3), 6-2 win over American Sam Querrey.
From 2-2 in the second set, Zverev reeled off four consecutive games to set up a semifinal showdown with Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas.