BEIJING: Rafael Nadal’s bid to return to the top of the world rankings remained on course yesterday as he progressed to the quarter-finals of the China Open, overcoming stubborn resistance from Philipp Kohlschreiber.
The current world number two could return to the top spot for the first time since July 2011 if he reaches the final in Beijing, and he moved a step closer following his 6-4, 7-6(7/3) victory.
But his German opponent ensured the second seed Spaniard had to dig deep to ensure his passage to the last eight in a game that lasted 1 hour 55 minutes.
Nadal took an early 2-0 lead before being pegged back at 3-3. But he took the first set by breaking Kohlschreiber’s serve in the final game. The intense competition continued into the second set, where neither opponent broke serve, forcing the tie-break.
Nadal could unseat Novak Djokovic from the top spot, no matter what the Serb does in the competition.
He will face Fabio Fognini in the quarter-finals, after the Italian ruthlessly swept aside Australia’s former world number one Lleyton Hewitt in a crushing 6-0, 6-2 defeat.
Elsewhere in the men’s tournament, eighth-seed American John Isner beat Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.
In the women’s tournament, Li Na’s bid to claim her first major tournament on home soil remained on course as she progressed to the quarter-finals after defeating Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki.
The home crowd favourite dumped out her German opponent 7-5, 6-4 in a cool-headed display of efficiency at a packed National Tennis Centre in Beijing.
In Tokyo, former champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga crashed out of the Japan Open in the second round yesterday, ambushed 6-4, 7-6 by Croatia’s Ivan Dodig in the tournament’s first major upset.
Top seed Juan Martin del Potro thrashed fellow Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of the $1.43 million event in Tokyo before Tsonga, still feeling his way back from a knee injury, was unceremoniously bundled out.
“I’m not shocked by this result,” the second-seeded Frenchman told reporters. “This game is difficult enough with two legs. With one and a half it’s complicated.”
The world number eight, champion in 2009, retired from the second round at Wimbledon and only returned at Metz a week ago, reaching the final.
He beat fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils in the first round in Tokyo but never got out of the blocks against Dodig.
“I’m still coming back so it’s never perfect,” said Tsonga, his left knee heavily iced.
“It’s frustrating but it’s part of the job to accept it’s going to be difficult when you’re not 100 percent. He broke me early and I was always chasing the match.”
AFP
