Canada’s Bouchard reaches semifinals
MELBOURNE, Australia — Eugenie Bouchard has reached the semifinals in her first trip to the Australian Open, beating 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, on Tuesday to set up a showdown with fourth-seeded Li Na.
The result means twotime Australian Open finalist Li, who beat Flavia Pennetta, 6-2, 6-2, in a quarterfinal match featuring two women who’ll turn 32 next month, will have to face a teenager for the third time in the tournament.
The 19-year-old Bouchard, the first Canadian to reach the Australian Open semifinals, played with composure against former No. 1ranked Ivanovic, who beat top-ranked Serena Williams in the fourth round.
Bouchard broke Ivanovic’s serve seven times, including the last game, and sat through a lengthy timeout when she trailed, 4-3, in the second set while Ivanovic received treatment.
Bouchard is playing only her fourth Grand Slam tournament.
Li, who lost to Victoria Azarenka in the final last year and to Kim Clijsters in 2011, has reached the semifinals four times in the last five years.
Li, from China, won her only previous match against Bouchard in straight sets at Montreal in 2012.
“We had a tough battle last time, and I think I didn’t have a lot of experience back then,” Bouchard said. “This time I think I’ll be ready.”
Later Tuesday, No. 3 David Ferrer was to play No. 7 Tomas Berdych in the first men’s quarterfinal. In a night match on Rod Laver Arena, Novak Djokovic was to continue his quest for a fourth consecutive Australian Open title with a quarterfinal match against No. 8 Stanislas Wawrinka.
The other half of the men’s draw plays its quarterfinal matches Wednesday when topranked Rafael Nadal takes on Grigor Dimitrov and Wimbledon champion Andy Murray plays 17-time Grand Slam tournament champion Roger Federer.
A four-time Australian Open champion, Federer was never threatened in beating 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
Nadal beat Kei Nishikori, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (3), though he was broken twice in the third set, getting a time violation from chair umpire Evanthia Asderaki in one of the games.
Dimitrov reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event for the first time with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Roberto Bautista Agut.
Murray ended the run of Stephane Robert, wasting match points in the third set and smashing his racket after the tiebreaker before advancing, 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-2.