FROM TennisReporters.net
The day began and ended with injury news, as much of this week has. Andy Roddick reported that he doesn’t need surgery on his bum knee, but he did strain his MCL and will have to sit for another two to three weeks before he can begin training again. What that means is that he’s likely to contest the last Masters tournament of the year, the BNP Paris Masters, before heading to London the ATP finals.
But there was negative news on three other fronts when Ivan Ljubicic became the eighth player to retire from Shanghai with a left hip injury after Rafa Nadal had just evened their match up at 3-6, 6-3. Over in Osaka, second seed Marion Bartoli retired down 6-4, 2-0 to Sania Mirza with a right shoulder injury, ending her hopes of qualify for the WTA Championships in Doha. But Bartoli did commit to the B-level Championships in Bali, which will be played three week after Doha. Also in Osaka, Melinda Czink pulled out of her match with Francesca Schiavone with a right foot injury. Instead of shortening the season and ripping off the fans in Asia who deserve to watch high-level tennis, why not just play the best two of three super tiebreakers? The wear and tear on the sore players’ bodies would be a lot less.
Nadal will face Feliciano Lopez on Saturday in the semis, who took out Robin Soderling 7-6, 6-3 to reach his final four of the season. Soderling will now likely have to do major damage in Bercy (Paris) if he’s to qualify for London.
Novak Djokovic played reasonably well in dispatching Gilles Simon 6-3, 2-6. 6-2 and will play Nikolay Davydenko, who overcame Czech Radek Stepanek 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. Djokovic totaled a racket during his win. “Most of the time when I smash the racket things go better from then on,” said Djokovic. “The positive thing is that I managed to find a good solution after so many ups and downs from both sides. A very emotional, very intense match.”
Two main contenders for the final Doha spot were victorious in Linz when Flavia Pennetta beat Ioana Raluca Olaru 7-5, 6-2 and Agnieszka Radwanska took out Lucie Safarova 6-3, 7-6(9). Pennetta will face Belgian teen Yanina Wickmayer, with Radwanska will face Czech Petra Kvitova, who overcame Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 6-4. Pennetta essentially has to win the tournament if she’s going to qualify.
In Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki dusted Aleksandra Wozniak 6-2, 6-7(1), 6-2 for the fifth time and will play Samantha Stosur, who beat Jill Craybas 6-1, 6-3. Mirza will face Francesca Schiavone, whom she calls her good friend. The last time that India’s finest player faced an Italian whom she said was her good friend, Pennetta, she was double bageled at the U.S. Open. Sania may be better off facing her enemies.
