Celtic's 14-game winning run came to an end after an unfortunate own goal from Hoops debutant Andre Blackman saw Aberdeen secure a 1-1 draw, while Hearts came back to claim a 2-1 win over Rangers.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Lille squander lead, Montpellier draw
Lille dropped a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Auxerre, while it was a day of slip-ups for the other contenders in Ligue 1 as Montpellier had to rescue a 1-1 draw with Dijon, and Lyon were defeated 2-0 by Nancy.
Misery for Chelsea, RVP saves Arsenal
The pressure on Chelsea deepened as they lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion, while Liverpool's push for a top-four finish suffered a blow after a 2-1 defeat by Arsenal, and City kept up their impressive form with a 2-0 win over Bolton.
Ferrer Lifts Third Successive Acapulco Title
World No. 6 David Ferrer triumphed at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel for the third straight year Saturday, dismissing countryman Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 6-2 to notch his 15th successive win in Acapulco.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Errani beats Pennetta to win Acapulco title
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP)â€"Sara Errani defeated fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-0 to take the Mexican Open title on Saturday.
It was Errani’s third WTA title, and the victory deprived Pennetta of a chance to win her 10th WTA title.
Pennetta won the first set, which was filled with mistakes. Neither player managed to hold serve in the first seven games, and Errani managed to hold serve only once in the set.
Errani bounced back to win the set second in a tiebreaker, and gained momentum to win the deciding set 6-0 to complete the 2 1/2-hour match.
Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco faced each other later in the men’s final.
It was Errani’s third WTA title, and the victory deprived Pennetta of a chance to win her 10th WTA title.
Pennetta won the first set, which was filled with mistakes. Neither player managed to hold serve in the first seven games, and Errani managed to hold serve only once in the set.
Errani bounced back to win the set second in a tiebreaker, and gained momentum to win the deciding set 6-0 to complete the 2 1/2-hour match.
Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco faced each other later in the men’s final.
Anderson Tops Isner In Delray Beach SFs; Matosevic Reaches First Final
No. 7 seed Kevin Anderson knocked off World No. 11 John Isner 7-5, 7-6(4) to advance to the final of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships Saturday evening.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Errani beats Pennetta to win Acapulco
ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP)â€"Sara Errani defeated fellow Italian Flavia Pennetta 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-0 to take the Mexican Open title on Saturday.
It was Errani’s third WTA title, and the victory deprived Pennetta of a chance to win her 10th WTA title.
Pennetta won the first set, which was filled with mistakes. Neither player managed to hold serve in the first seven games, and Errani managed to hold serve only once in the set.
Errani bounced back to win the set second in a tiebreaker, and gained momentum to win the deciding set 6-0 to complete the 2 1/2-hour match.
Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco faced each other later in the men’s final.
It was Errani’s third WTA title, and the victory deprived Pennetta of a chance to win her 10th WTA title.
Pennetta won the first set, which was filled with mistakes. Neither player managed to hold serve in the first seven games, and Errani managed to hold serve only once in the set.
Errani bounced back to win the set second in a tiebreaker, and gained momentum to win the deciding set 6-0 to complete the 2 1/2-hour match.
Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco faced each other later in the men’s final.
Chiefs, Cosmos through to last 16
Kaizer Chiefs eased to a 3-0 victory over Cape Town All Stars to secure a place in the last 16 of the South African FA Cup, and are joined by Jomo Cosmos and Golden Arrows who beat African Warriors and North West Shining Stars respectively.
Barcelona day three - Perez fastest as rain hits Spain
On a day that saw teams get their first taste of Pirelli's 2012-spec wet-weather tyres, Sauber's Sergio Perez topped the times. Perez's best of 1m 22.094s - set in the morning before rain arrived - put him less than a tenth clear of McLaren's Jenson Button and Toro Rosso's Daniel Ricciardo. Mark Webber, debuting a heavily revised version of Red Bull's RB8, finished eighth
Matosevic reaches first ATP final in Delray Beach
DELRAY BEACH, Florida (AP)â€"Marinko Matosevic of Australia reached his first career ATP final, beating Dudi Sela of Israel 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7) Saturday at the Delray Beach International.
The 173rd-ranked Matosevic needed five match points to close out the 2-hour, 54-minute semifinal match.
He finally won on his third match point in the third-set tiebreaker after double-faulting on the first one and hitting the ball into the net on the second.
Matosevic won when the 75th-ranked Sela netted a backhand.
In the final, he will face the winner of the other semifinal between top-seeded John Isner of the United States and seventh seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
The 173rd-ranked Matosevic needed five match points to close out the 2-hour, 54-minute semifinal match.
He finally won on his third match point in the third-set tiebreaker after double-faulting on the first one and hitting the ball into the net on the second.
Matosevic won when the 75th-ranked Sela netted a backhand.
In the final, he will face the winner of the other semifinal between top-seeded John Isner of the United States and seventh seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
Roddick suffers a rare serving letdown
Squandering three match points in a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 loss to Kevin Anderson in the Delray Beach quarterfinals left Andy Roddick ruing an average serving day. On the one match point he had on serve, Roddick failed to put his first serve in and then committed a backhand error. Roddick is now 4-4 on the season. "It’s not very often I can look back on my career and say my serve lost me a match," Roddick told reporters. "But today that was the case. I’ve made a career of getting my first serves in."
Hsieh advances to the Kuala Lumpur final
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)â€"Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei reached the Malaysian Open final by defeating Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 on Saturday.
The second semifinal between Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Petra Martic of Croatia was suspended because of rain at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.
The tournament has dealt with rain and injuries all week. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday with an elbow injury.
Daniilidou had to play twice Saturday because of rain postponements. She beat Australia’s Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals, but had only a few hours of rest before facing Hsieh.
Jankovic reached the semifinals after Japan’s Ayumi Morita withdrew with a shoulder injury.
The second semifinal between Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Petra Martic of Croatia was suspended because of rain at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.
The tournament has dealt with rain and injuries all week. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday with an elbow injury.
Daniilidou had to play twice Saturday because of rain postponements. She beat Australia’s Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals, but had only a few hours of rest before facing Hsieh.
Jankovic reached the semifinals after Japan’s Ayumi Morita withdrew with a shoulder injury.
Verdasco says his best form is returning
In reaching the singles and doubles finals of Acapulco, Fernando Verdasco says that he’s playing the best that he has since more than a year ago when he reached the final of San Jose. The former world No. 7 has fallen to No. 27 and has not reached the final of an ATP 500 tournament or better since he won Barcelona in April of 2010. The 28-year-old Spaniard reached three finals in 2011, but all were ATP 250s.
"Last week in Buenos Aires I felt my form started to come back and I’m feeling the ball much better," Verdasco told reporters. "It’s like in Brisbane in 2009 when I reached both finals, and then right after that I reached the Australian Open semis and lost to Nadal. But I lost both finals in Brisbane. This time I would like to win one title, and of course it would be great to win both. But I don’t have many points to defend and I want to get my top 10 ranking back."
"Last week in Buenos Aires I felt my form started to come back and I’m feeling the ball much better," Verdasco told reporters. "It’s like in Brisbane in 2009 when I reached both finals, and then right after that I reached the Australian Open semis and lost to Nadal. But I lost both finals in Brisbane. This time I would like to win one title, and of course it would be great to win both. But I don’t have many points to defend and I want to get my top 10 ranking back."
Federer: Hawk-Eye detracts from the sport
Never a fan of the Hawk-Eye, Roger Federer says that line-calling system makes the sport less interesting
"What I like without Hawk-Eye is just the players challenging the umpires more often,†he told reporters in Dubai. "The umpires had to be very aware. People today don't lose any energy over arguing with umpires any more, which back in the day we used to. I think also their mental strength came into play more often. Now you just move from point to point to point so you don't see that much character any more. That's kind of what I miss, because I just felt it was going to even out eventually throughout your career with all the good and bad calls. But I get the point of Hawkâ€'Eye."
Federer also added that fans are missing out on the days when players and umpires and linespeople would battle over the legitimacy of calls.
"I think some fans who have never seen Hawk-Eye think it's amazing to see how accurate or inaccurate, whatever, it can be. I mean, I believe it's pretty accurate," he said, reportedly with irony. "So I see fans liking that, but then those are maybe the ones who don't remember the arguments back in the day with the umpires, which was when the booing starting, fans getting behind you or against you. Those were the good days, sometimes. I mean, you can still do it, but for what reason?"
"What I like without Hawk-Eye is just the players challenging the umpires more often,†he told reporters in Dubai. "The umpires had to be very aware. People today don't lose any energy over arguing with umpires any more, which back in the day we used to. I think also their mental strength came into play more often. Now you just move from point to point to point so you don't see that much character any more. That's kind of what I miss, because I just felt it was going to even out eventually throughout your career with all the good and bad calls. But I get the point of Hawkâ€'Eye."
Federer also added that fans are missing out on the days when players and umpires and linespeople would battle over the legitimacy of calls.
"I think some fans who have never seen Hawk-Eye think it's amazing to see how accurate or inaccurate, whatever, it can be. I mean, I believe it's pretty accurate," he said, reportedly with irony. "So I see fans liking that, but then those are maybe the ones who don't remember the arguments back in the day with the umpires, which was when the booing starting, fans getting behind you or against you. Those were the good days, sometimes. I mean, you can still do it, but for what reason?"
Roddick suffers rare serving letdown
After letting go of three match points in a 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 loss to Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals of Delray Beach, Andy Roddick rues an average serving day. On the one match point that he had when he served , he failed to put his first serve in and then committed a backhand error. Roddick is now 4-4 on the season. "It’s not very often I can look back on my career and say my serve lost me a match," Roddick told reporters. "But today that was the case. I’ve made a career of getting my first serves in."
Qualifier Matosevic Reaches Delray Beach Final
Qualifier Marinko Matosevic continued his run through the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships draw Saturday, edging Dudi Sela 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(7) to reach his first ATP World Tour final.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Saturday Briefing - Dubai, Acapulco, Delray Beach
Media notes for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco and the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Hsieh advances to Kuala Lumpur final
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)â€"Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei reached the Malaysian Open final by defeating Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 on Saturday.
The second semifinal between Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Petra Martic of Croatia was suspended because of rain at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.
The tournament has dealt with rain and injuries all week. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday with an elbow injury.
Daniilidou had to play twice Saturday because of rain postponements. She beat Australia’s Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals, but had only a few hours of rest before facing Hsieh.
Jankovic reached the semifinals after Japan’s Ayumi Morita withdrew with a shoulder injury.
The second semifinal between Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Petra Martic of Croatia was suspended because of rain at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.
The tournament has dealt with rain and injuries all week. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday with an elbow injury.
Daniilidou had to play twice Saturday because of rain postponements. She beat Australia’s Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals, but had only a few hours of rest before facing Hsieh.
Jankovic reached the semifinals after Japan’s Ayumi Morita withdrew with a shoulder injury.
Driver quotes: Day 3 from Barcelona
BARCELONA PRE-SEASON TESTING CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA DAY 3 DRIVER QUOTES 03 MARCH 2012 Red Bull Racing Mark Webber “We had a pretty good run today and once again we learned a lot, however, I suppose the thing that everyone’s obviously asking about is the changes we made to the car but I have to say
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• Facebook • Twitter • Delicious • Digg • StumbleUpon • Add to favorites • Email • RSS • LinkedInF1B Sector 3 – March 3, 2012
F1B Sector 3 weekly wrap-up. What you need to know about F1 this week
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• Facebook • Twitter • Delicious • Digg • StumbleUpon • Add to favorites • Email • RSS • LinkedInPennetta not deterred by violence in Mexico
Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, who has reached the final of Acapulco against her compatriot, Sara Errani, says that she is not afraid to be at the tournament despite reports of violence in Mexico.
"Last year they told us not to leave the site much because there were many problems in the country, but I never thought about that because every country has its problems and there’s no place in the world that perfect, that’s always nice and 100 percent OK," she told reporters. "There are good things and bad things and it’s the same in Italy, Spain, Switzerland or wherever. Everyone wants to make things better and are trying to do that."
Pennetta added that while she wants to win the title the most important thing is that "the trophy remains in Italy."
"Last year they told us not to leave the site much because there were many problems in the country, but I never thought about that because every country has its problems and there’s no place in the world that perfect, that’s always nice and 100 percent OK," she told reporters. "There are good things and bad things and it’s the same in Italy, Spain, Switzerland or wherever. Everyone wants to make things better and are trying to do that."
Pennetta added that while she wants to win the title the most important thing is that "the trophy remains in Italy."
Verdasco says best form returning
In reaching the singles and doubles finals of Acapulco, Fernando Verdasco says that he’s playing the best that he has since more than a year ago when he reached the final of San Jose. The former world No. 7 has fallen to No. 27 and has not reached the final of an ATP 500 tournament or better since he won Barcelona in April of 2010. The 28-year-old Spaniard reached three finals in 2011, but all were ATP 250s.
"Last week in Buenos Aires I felt my form started to come back and I’m feeling the ball much better," Verdasco told reporters. "It’s like in Brisbane in 2009 when I reached both finals, and then right after that I reached the Australian Open semis and lost to Nadal. But I lost both finals in Brisbane. This time I would like to win one title, and of course it would be great to win both. But I don’t have many points to defend and I want to get my top 10 ranking back."
"Last week in Buenos Aires I felt my form started to come back and I’m feeling the ball much better," Verdasco told reporters. "It’s like in Brisbane in 2009 when I reached both finals, and then right after that I reached the Australian Open semis and lost to Nadal. But I lost both finals in Brisbane. This time I would like to win one title, and of course it would be great to win both. But I don’t have many points to defend and I want to get my top 10 ranking back."
Federer: Hawk-Eye detracts from sport
Never a fan of the Hawk-Eye, Roger Federer says that line-calling system makes the sport less interesting
"What I like without Hawk-Eye is just the players challenging the umpires more often,†he told reporters in Dubai. "The umpires had to be very aware. People today don't lose any energy over arguing with umpires any more, which back in the day we used to. I think also their mental strength came into play more often. Now you just move from point to point to point so you don't see that much character any more. That's kind of what I miss, because I just felt it was going to even out eventually throughout your career with all the good and bad calls. But I get the point of Hawkâ€'Eye."
Federer also added that fans are missing out on the days when players and umpires and linespeople would battle over the legitimacy of calls.
"I think some fans who have never seen Hawk-Eye think it's amazing to see how accurate or inaccurate, whatever, it can be. I mean, I believe it's pretty accurate," he said, reportedly with irony. "So I see fans liking that, but then those are maybe the ones who don't remember the arguments back in the day with the umpires, which was when the booing starting, fans getting behind you or against you. Those were the good days, sometimes. I mean, you can still do it, but for what reason?"
"What I like without Hawk-Eye is just the players challenging the umpires more often,†he told reporters in Dubai. "The umpires had to be very aware. People today don't lose any energy over arguing with umpires any more, which back in the day we used to. I think also their mental strength came into play more often. Now you just move from point to point to point so you don't see that much character any more. That's kind of what I miss, because I just felt it was going to even out eventually throughout your career with all the good and bad calls. But I get the point of Hawkâ€'Eye."
Federer also added that fans are missing out on the days when players and umpires and linespeople would battle over the legitimacy of calls.
"I think some fans who have never seen Hawk-Eye think it's amazing to see how accurate or inaccurate, whatever, it can be. I mean, I believe it's pretty accurate," he said, reportedly with irony. "So I see fans liking that, but then those are maybe the ones who don't remember the arguments back in the day with the umpires, which was when the booing starting, fans getting behind you or against you. Those were the good days, sometimes. I mean, you can still do it, but for what reason?"
Federer beats Murray in straights for fifth Dubai title
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)â€"Roger Federer beat Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4 Saturday to win his fifth Dubai Championships title.
The second-seeded Federer didn’t drop a set all week and was rarely threatened by the third-seeded Murray, who was coming off his semifinal win against top-ranked Novak Djokovic. The win was Federer’s fifth title in seven tournaments and his 72nd overall. He also won two weeks ago in Rotterdam.
“This is perfect. This is great. Any title is a good one, I’ll tell you that,†Federer said. “I have a losing record against Murray, I do believe, and not against Novak … I don’t want to say (beating Murray) means more to me but it’s a beautiful victory.â€
The 16-time Grand Slam champion kept Murray off balance much of the match, outplaying the 24-year-old from Scotland with a mix of powerful groundstrokes, drop shots and the occasional serve-and-volley.
Federer saved two break points when down 3-2 in the first set at the Aviation Club. He saved the first when Murray hit a forehand long and won the second with a backhand volley.
Federer broke Murray to go up 6-5 and took the first set when Murray hit a forehand wide.
The two players traded breaks early in the second set before Federer broke decisively to make it 5-4. Murray saved one match point before the Swiss star hit a forehand winner into the corner.
“The match was close I think in both sets, I just gave myself more opportunities than Andy did overall,†said Federer, who used the fast surface to his advantage.
Murray struggled much of the night with his backhand and his serve also let him down. He won 85 percent of his first service points against Djokovic, but only 48 percent against Federer.
“For sure I made a few too many mistakes in the second, and he was playing a lot more aggressive than in the first set,†Murray said. “Sets can come down to just a couple (of) points. You get a lucky shot here or one great shot and you can break the set wide open.â€
Murray insisted his win over Djokovic was not on his mind as he took the court against Federer.
“It was a good win yesterday, good win the day before, tough match today,†Murray said. “So I’m just happy with the week, because at this stage last year I was in a very different position, different frame of mind.â€
The second-seeded Federer didn’t drop a set all week and was rarely threatened by the third-seeded Murray, who was coming off his semifinal win against top-ranked Novak Djokovic. The win was Federer’s fifth title in seven tournaments and his 72nd overall. He also won two weeks ago in Rotterdam.
“This is perfect. This is great. Any title is a good one, I’ll tell you that,†Federer said. “I have a losing record against Murray, I do believe, and not against Novak … I don’t want to say (beating Murray) means more to me but it’s a beautiful victory.â€
The 16-time Grand Slam champion kept Murray off balance much of the match, outplaying the 24-year-old from Scotland with a mix of powerful groundstrokes, drop shots and the occasional serve-and-volley.
Federer saved two break points when down 3-2 in the first set at the Aviation Club. He saved the first when Murray hit a forehand long and won the second with a backhand volley.
Federer broke Murray to go up 6-5 and took the first set when Murray hit a forehand wide.
The two players traded breaks early in the second set before Federer broke decisively to make it 5-4. Murray saved one match point before the Swiss star hit a forehand winner into the corner.
“The match was close I think in both sets, I just gave myself more opportunities than Andy did overall,†said Federer, who used the fast surface to his advantage.
Murray struggled much of the night with his backhand and his serve also let him down. He won 85 percent of his first service points against Djokovic, but only 48 percent against Federer.
“For sure I made a few too many mistakes in the second, and he was playing a lot more aggressive than in the first set,†Murray said. “Sets can come down to just a couple (of) points. You get a lucky shot here or one great shot and you can break the set wide open.â€
Murray insisted his win over Djokovic was not on his mind as he took the court against Federer.
“It was a good win yesterday, good win the day before, tough match today,†Murray said. “So I’m just happy with the week, because at this stage last year I was in a very different position, different frame of mind.â€
Saturday Briefing - Dubai, Delray Beach
Media notes for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco and the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Federer Wins Fifth Dubai Crown
World No. 3 Roger Federer won his fifth Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title in the 20th edition of the ATP World Tour 500 hard-court tennis tournament. The Swiss defeated No. 4 Andy Murray 7-5, 6-4 in the final on Saturday evening.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Djokovic Named Men’s ITWA Ambassador Of The Year
Novak Djokovic was presented here today with his award as one of the International Tennis Writers Association’s Ambassadors of the Year. Djokovic was presented with his award by Paul Newman, co-president of ITWA, after reaching the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Championships.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Bhupathi/Bopanna Capture First Title
Fourth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna captured their first ATP World Tour doubles title together on Saturday with victory in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final. The Indians overcame third-seeded Poles Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 in 69 minutes.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Bhupathi/Bopanna Capture First Team Title
Fourth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna captured their first ATP World Tour doubles title together on Saturday with victory in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final. The Indians overcame third-seeded Poles Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 in 69 minutes.
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]] 
[[More Tennis News on ATPWorldTour.com]]
Roddick wastes three match points in Delray loss
DELRAY BEACH, Florida (AP)â€"Andy Roddick had three match points to beat Kevin Anderson on Friday, but could not convert any and the South African won through to the semifinals of the Delray Beach International Series.
Seventh-seeded Anderson won 2-6, 7-6 (9), 6-4 to set up a semifinal against another big-serving American, John Isner.
“There’s not often I can look back at my career and say a serve lost me the match,†Roddick said. “But, today, that was the case.
“I’ve made a career of getting my first serves in.â€
Isner advanced with a solid 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 8 seed Bernard Tomic of Australia. On the other half of the draw, Dudi Sela of Israel progressed to a rare semifinal berth by beating Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-0, and will face Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic, who finished strongly to beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 3-6, 6-1, 6-1.
Despite the loss, Roddick feels his game is getting into better shape after dealing with a right hamstring and right ankle injury this season.
“I played OK this week,†Roddick said. “I returned a little bit better. I flowed a little bit better than a week ago. It’s just a matter of getting my percentage better on my serve.â€
On a day where the swirling wind annoyed all the players, Isner put up nine aces and won four of his nine service games at love in the 56-minute match.
“I played well right from the get-go,†Isner said. “When he has time, that’s when he gets comfortable. So I wanted to keep the points short, which is what I want to do every match.
“The wind was very, very tricky.â€
The 75th-ranked Sela reached his first ATP World Tour semifinal since the 2010 Chennai tournament.
Sela was serving for the match in the second set and was up 30-0 but lost the next four points to send the second set into a tiebreaker which Kohlschreiber won. The Israeli was more ruthless in the third set, losing only four points in his three service games.
“I was supposed to win in two sets,†Sela said. “I was 6-5 in the second set, 30-love serving, and I got a little nervous and he went for two good shots.
“But I’m happy I played well in the third, stayed positive and won the match.â€
The 173rd-ranked Matosevic, who is currently on an 11-match winning streak, is into his first career ATP semifinal.
“It feels good, especially coming through qualifying because it feels like I really earned it,†Matosevic said. “The conditions were really tough and the wind was really getting me down in the first set. I just wasn’t making enough balls and returns.
“I just let him beat himself in the end.â€
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