Tennis: Pospisil dumps to seed Berdych, Raonic wins
Berdych was ousted from the ATP and WTA Washington Open.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Czech top seed Tomas Berdych was ousted from the ATP and WTA Washington Open on Thursday, falling 6-2, 6-4 to Canada s Vasek Pospisil in a third-round match.
Pospisil, who at 36th in the rankings was 31 spots beneath Berdych, collected his third career victory over a top-10 foe, his first coming over Berdych nearly a year ago in the round of 16 at Canada.
"That was not one of my best," Berdych said. "It s something that needs to be dealt with and go on. I need to move on and work even harder."
In the quarter-finals for the second week in a row at a US Open hardcourt warm-up event, Pospisil will face Santiago Giraldo, who beat Victor Estrella Burgos 6-2, 6-0.
"It was a huge win for me," Pospisil said. "Beating (Berdych) last year gave me a little more confidence."
Pospisil, who joined American Jack Sock in winning the Wimbledon doubles crown, seeks his second semi-final of the season after a back injury contributed to his going winless in eight matches from February to May.
"If I m serving well and moving well, I know I can give these guys a lot of trouble," Pospisil said.
Wimbledon semi-finalist Milos Raonic fired 27 aces in a 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/3) victory over Australian Lleyton Hewitt that put the second-seeded Canadian in the quarter-finals.
"I did a lot of good things, especially the way I fought through the important games," Raonic said. "In those key moments, my attitude got me through."
Raonic, who also won his opener over Sock in two tie-breakers, will face US giant-killer Steve Johnson for a spot in the last four.
Johnson dumped ATP aces leader Ivo Karlovic 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (9/7) despite 27 aces by the Croatian ninth seed. A day earlier he beat US fifth seed John Isner, who ranks second in aces and fired 29 past Johnson.
"He couldn t have had any better preparation to face me," said Raonic, who ranks third in ATP aces. "It s going to be very difficult.
"Compared to the previous two he got, I think I control the center of the court and move a little better. Hopefully that will get me through."
In each win, Johnson benefitted from a double fault by his rival on the penultimate point to win a third-set tie-breaker.
"I can learn a lot from a match like this and take it into the next match," Johnson said.
Japanese fourth seed Kei Nishikori and French sixth seed Richard Gasquet, the top men s seeds remaining after Raonic, will meet in another quarter-final.
Nishikori dispatched Slovakian Lukas Lacko 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, after being pushed to three sets for a second straight day.
