Berdych crushes Simon, to take on Wawrinka in final
ROTTERDAM: Tomas Berdych moved within a victory of retaining his World Indoor Tournament title in Rotterdam with a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat of eighth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon on Saturday.
The Czech faces Stan Wawrinka in the final after the fourth-seeded Swiss edged out Canadian Milos Raonic 7-6(3), 7-6(7).
Third seed Berdych was totally dominant, offering up only one point on his serve throughout the 58-minute encounter.
“My game was good and the game plan was even better,” Berdych told the ATP’s website.
“I need to keep going as there is still one more match to go. I want to go all the way.”
Simon beat top seed Andy Murray on Friday but could not cope with the Berdych onslaught.
Wawrinka entered his match having won all three of his previous meetings with Raonic and preserved his 100 percent record against the second seed despite watching 15 aces whizz by his outstretched racket.
In a match featuring seven break points but no breaks of serve, Wawrinka won both tiebreaks to reach his second final of the year following his success in Chennai at the start of the season. BOLT OPTS OUT
KINGSTON, JAMAICA: Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt opted out of the Camperdown Classic athletics meeting on Saturday after toying with the idea of launching his 2015 season with a 400m there.
No reason was given, despite the fact that organizers had said they expected Bolt would run in the meet for the first time in years.
Bolt anchored Jamaica to gold in the 4x100m relay at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year, but he missed much of the season, officially bringing his abbreviated 2014 campaign to a close in August after racing just four times. NISHIKORI WINS
MEMPHIS, USA: Top seed Kei Nishikori is on track for a threepeat at the Memphis Open after a narrow semi-final victory on Saturday.
The Japanese barely averted an upset against Sam Querrey. He lost the first set before winning consecutive tiebreakers for a hard fought 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) victory over the American.
World number five Nishikori will meet second seed Kevin Anderson in the final on Sunday.
The South African also dropped the first set before recovering to beat American Donald Young 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.