Paris, France (SportsNetwork.com) – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic cooled off
Andy Murray, while Canadian slugger Milos Raonic upended Roger Federer in
Friday’s quarterfinal action at the $3.7 million Paris Masters.
The reigning champion Djokovic topped the eighth-seeded Murray 7-5, 6-2 on
the indoor hardcourts at Paris’ Palais Omnisports.
The Serbian star Djokovic is now 15-8 in lifetime against Murray, including
4-0 this year and 9-4 in Masters matchups.
Murray was fresh off his title in Valencia, had won two straight and three
of his previous five tournaments overall, and had been riding an 11-match
winning streak.
The two-time Paris Masters champ Djokovic bested then defending champion
David Ferrer in last year’s finale.
The Wimbledon titlist Djokovic will face sixth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan
on Saturday. Nishikori, the U.S. Open runner-up, rallied to beat the fourth-
seeded Ferrer 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.
Meanwhile, the seventh-seeded Raonic straight-setted the second-seeded former
world No. 1 great Federer 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.
Raonic fired 21 aces and tallied the only break of the tight match
to advance.
“Considering all the circumstances around it, I think this was the biggest win
for me,” said Raonic.
Federer had been 6-0 lifetime against the 32-year-old Raonic, including
2-0 this season.
The 33-year-old Federer was fresh off his title in his hometown of
Basel, Switzerland, last week and was the Paris Masters champ in
2011. He’s was riding a 14-match overall winning streak, including a title
at the Shanghai Masters just three weeks ago.
Federer, who is looking to clinch the year-end No. 1 spot for a record-tying
sixth time, will now take some time off before chasing more points at the ATP
World Tour Finals, then with Switzerland in the Davis Cup final against France
next month.
“I always thought it was going to get solved in London,” Federer said.
“Whether I am No. 1 at the end of this year, or one or two weeks later next
year, it doesn’t really matter. Novak seems to be fit, anyway. Now I will have
a good preparation for London. It’s not that I didn’t want to win here, but I
knew it was going to be tough from the start.”
Raonic’s semifinal opponent on Saturday will be fifth-seeded former Wimbledon
runner-up Tomas Berdych, who came from behind to beat 14th-seeded 6-foot-8
South African Kevin Anderson 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4 and secure a berth in the
season-ending Tour Finals for a fifth year in a row.
The Czech star Berdych was the Paris Masters champ back in 2005.
This marks the final tournament of the regular season on the ATP.
