Djokovic makes Madrid semis
Champion advances after Nishikori withdrawal, Murray falls in third round
>> MADRID: Defending champion Novak Djokovic moved into the semi-finals of the Madrid Open yesterday without hitting a ball as Kei Nishikori withdrew citing the recurrence of a wrist injury, tournament organisers said.
The sixth-seeded Nishikori said his wrist is “not 100 percent” and he doesn’t “want to risk” a more serious injury.
World No.8 Nishikori, who beat Djokovic in the 2014 US Open semifinals, was playing in his first tournament since March. The Japanese player had withdrawn from the Barcelona Open last month because of the lingering wrist injury.
A finalist in Madrid in 2014, Nishikori had lost the last 10 matches against Djokovic, including in the semi-finals in Madrid last year.
Nishikori is now also a major doubt for the Rome Masters next week with 10 days to go until the start of the French Open.
Djokovic will either renew his rivalry with Rafael Nadal or face Belgium’s David Goffin in the last four today.
World No.1 Andy Murray’s slump in form continued as he crashed out in the third round 6-3, 6-3 to lucky loser Borna Coric on Thursday.
Nadal extended his flawless record on clay this season to 12-0 with a 6-3, 6-1 destruction of Nick Kyrgios.
Djokovic eased into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Feliciano Lopez while Belgium’s Goffin knocked out world No.6 Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-2.
Coric was only handed a late reprieve t o enter t he draw i n Madrid after losing in qualifying to Mikhail Kukushkin.
“After one match of the quallies where I lost and I was booking my flight back to home,” said Coric.
“I couldn’t imagine this when I woke up this morning, I always believed but I wasn’t sure how I was going to play.
“In t he end I played as I had dreamed.”
However, Murray cut a frustrated figure as he was swept aside by the 20-year-old Croatian for the second time in the pair’s four meetings.
“I didn’t help myself find a way into the match to start playing better,” said Murray.
“I definitely think I need to be concerned about today.
“It’s not always the worst thing losing a match, but it’s sometimes the manner of how you lose the match is what can be concerning or disappointing.”
Coric broke the fragile Murray serve three times in the first set under the roof at the Manolo Santana centre court due to rain in the Spanish capital.
And one poor service game from the Wimbledon champion cost him dear in the second as Coric served out for the match to set up a quarter-final meeting with Dominic Thiem.
Nadal had no such troubles as he dominated Kyrgios to beat the Australian in just over an hour.
“I played really well tonight. Right from the start I made very few errors,” said the Spaniard. “To win 6-3, 6-1 against an opponent as good as Nick, isn’t normal.”