Nadal, Serena reach China Open semifinals
Rafael Nadal beat Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach China Open semifinals.
BEIJING (AP) - Rafael Nadal stayed on course to wrest the top ranking from Novak Djokovic by rallying for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over Fabio Fognini of Italy in the China Open quarterfinals on Friday.
Nadal, who needs to reach the final to have a chance of regaining No. 1 for the first time in two years, was down a set and a break but changed the tempo with a timely service break.
Djokovic played Sam Querrey in a late match.
Also, top-ranked Serena Williams brushed aside former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-1, 6-4 to raise her record to 6-1 against the Dane.
Nadal seemed to struggle at times with a niggling left knee injury but wore down Fognini after that hard-fought service break in the seventh game of the second set.
"I was able to fight, to change a little bit the dynamic of the match," Nadal said. "The players who are in the top position of the rankings, it s because they are able to win when things are not going well. One of the most important things in tennis (is to) win when you don t play well."
Fognini started fluently as he broke and led 3-0. He was soon leading 5-1 but failed to serve out and had to break Nadal again with a superb cross-court return to clinch the set.
Fognini again ran up a 3-0 lead in the second and was serving with a lead of 4-2 before Nadal seized control.
It was the third straight victory over Fognini for Nadal, who next plays fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
Berdych scored a 7-5, 6-2 win over John Isner to improve his record to 3-2 against the American.
In other women s matches, former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat local favorite Li Na 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal with Jelena Jankovic.
Jankovic also came from a set down to beat Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4.
