2013 Tennis Thread

Nadal marches on in Acapulco

Rafael Nadal sounded an ominous warning as he raced into the quarter-finals at the Acapulco International tournament with a 6-0 6-4 win over Martin Alund.
Nadal, who is playing his third clay-court event in four weeks since returning from a seven-month lay-off through injury, completed victory in an hour and 16 minutes.
Alund looked to be headed the same way as Nadal's first-round opponent Diego Schwartzman, who was dismissed 6-2 6-2, when he was served up a bagel in the opening set.
Nadal won an impressive 88 per cent of his first service points during that opening stanza and claimed three of seven break opportunities.
But credit to Alund - like Schwartzman, a qualifier from Argentina - he rallied in the second set and more than doubled the success rate on his own first service points from a meagre 31 per cent in the first to 65.
Alund managed to bring up three break points but, tellingly, failed to win any of them. Nadal was similarly wasteful however, having had five of his own and only converted one.
Crucially though, that one success was enough to seal victory, keeping alive the world number five's hopes of reaching a third final on his Latin American tour - he was runner-up in Vina del Mar before winning the Brazil Open title in Sao Paulo.
Nadal will now play Leonardo Mayer for a place in the semis after the Argentine downed Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-2 6-2.
Earlier, top seed David Ferrer continued his bid to defend his title with another comfortable victory, this time a 6-2 6-1 win over American qualifier Wayne Odesnik to reach the quarter-finals.
The world number four and three-times defending champion at the tournament, was in imperious form once again, dropping just three games on his way through. That is now just six games dropped from two matches.
He won 70 per cent of his second service points and has lost a total of just 11 points on his second serve in his Mexican campaign.
Ferrer, who remains on course for a potential final meeting with Nadal, moves on to meet Paolo Lorenzi in the quarters after the Italian saw off Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-4 6-3.
Nadal and Ferrer's compatriot Nicolas Almagro, the third seed, earned a 6-4 7-6(4) win over yet another Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

Acapulco International results

Round 2

3-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat Tommy Robredo (Spain) 6-4 7-6(4)

2-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Martin Alund (Argentina) 6-0 6-4

Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Pablo Andujar (Spain) 6-4 6-3

Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Aljaz Bedene (Slovenia) 2-6 6-4 7-6(4)

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Wayne Odesnik (U.S.) 6-2 6-1

Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) beat Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia) 6-2 6-2

8-Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) 6-2 6-3

Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) beat Joao Sousa (Portugal) 7-6(8) 7-5
 
Djokovic and Federer make semis in Dubai

Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer stayed on course for a scorching desert showdown as they led the top four seeds into the semi-finals of the Dubai Championships.
The world's leading two players were joined in the last four by Czech Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina.
Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches as he routed Andreas Seppi 6-0 6-3 to set up a 10th meeting with Del Potro, whose thunderous serving helped him overwhelm German qualifier Daniel Brands 6-4 6-2.
Federer vanquished Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 and world number six Berdych swatted aside wildcard Dmitry Tursunov 6-3 6-2.
Federer and Djokovic, winners of eight of the past 10 Dubai finals between them, have topped the bill each night, while the lower seeds have played in the blistering afternoon heat and that could leave the top two in better condition for Friday's semi-finals.
Djokovic has a 7-2 winning record against Del Potro and has been victorious in their last three matches, but the Argentine did beat Djokovic to claim an Olympic bronze in London last year.
"Del Potro is a fantastic player, he's very powerful and has a great serve," Djokovic said. "He likes this court, plays very aggressive, so I'll have to be on top of my game."
The Serb had been lax in the closing stages of his second- round match and he began Thursday in a similar fashion, perhaps complacent due to a 9-0 winning record against Italian Seppi.
Djokovic's first serve was rarely on target in the opening game and a netted forehand left him facing a break point, but the 25-year-old escaped with a venomous serve and eventually held.
That scare seemed to refocus the Serb, who broke immediately by exposing Seppi's limitations - an erratic serve, short returns and a limp backhand.
The Italian won just 11 points in a first set whitewash and Djokovic broke decisively for a 3-1 second set lead as a flat-footed Seppi played a forehand that did not even trouble the tram lines.
Earlier, Del Potro was bullish after a relative stroll against the big-serving Brands.
"If I am ready and I'm very solid with my forehands and serve, it's going to be a very big chance for me," Del Potro said.
That confidence is a reflection of the former US Open champion's improving form in Dubai following a scare in the first round in which he saved three match points before beating Marcos Baghdatis. He has not lost his serve since.
Cheered on by pockets of Argentine support decked out in the blue and white stripes of the country's football team, he conceded just 10 points on serve against Brands in the volcanic afternoon heat.
Federer, 31, dismantled Davydenko to claim a 19th victory in 21 against the Russian.
The Swiss broke with ease, on the second occasion dragging the Russian out wide with an angled drive the despairing veteran could only arc long.

At the Delray Beach International top seed John Isner marched into the quarter-finals with a 7-6 6-2 win over Japan's Go Soeda.
Isner fired 15 aces and won over 90 per cent of points on his first serve to take the match in an hour and 15 minutes.
The towering American will meet another big-serving giant in South African defending champion Kevin Anderson, who was pushed harder by Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu in their 6-4 3-6 6-3 match.
Second-seeded German Tommy Haas had little trouble in beating Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-4 6-1 but third seed Sam Querrey was sent packing by Latvian Ernests Gulbis 6-4 4-6 7-6.
Haas, the 2006 champion, was also strong on serve and wrapped up the match in just 67 minutes.
"It's a little different with the cool weather and no wind today so it was very pleasant to play," Haas said.
"I had a lot of chances early on that I didn't take and frustrated me, but at 4-5 I broke him to win the first set and I think that mentally disturbed him a little bit."
American Querrey crashed out after taking a 4-0 lead in the deciding set, and racked up eight double-faults, including one when serving for the match.
Eighth seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium was also bundled out, losing his rain-interrupted match 7-6 3-6 6-3 to Spanish qualifier Daniel Munoz.

ATP Dubai results

Quarter-finals

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 7-Andreas Seppi (Italy) 6-0 6-3

2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-2 6-2

3-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) 6-3 6-2

4-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) beat Daniel Brands (Germany) 6-4 6-2

Delray Beach International results

Round 2

1-John Isner (U.S.) beat Go Soeda (Japan) 7-6(2) 6-2

6-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) beat Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-4 3-6 6-3

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat 3-Sam Querrey (U.S.) 6-4 4-6 7-6(4)

Ivan Dodig (Croatia) beat Evgeny Donskoy (Russia) 6-3 7-5

2-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) 6-4 6-1

Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) beat Jack Sock (U.S.) 3-6 6-4 6-1

Daniel Munoz (Spain) beat 8-Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 7-6(3) 3-6 6-3

Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) beat Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4 7-5
 
Venus flies into semis

Venus Williams booked her place in the semi-finals of the Brasil Cup with a straight-set win over Magdalena Rybarikova.
The top-seed triumphed 6-4 6-0 against the Slovakian, who initially made the American work hard in their last-eight match in Florianopolis.
Neither player was particularly on form on serve during a tight first set, with a total of 14 break points shared between the pair.
Williams faced eight of those but managed to save six while breaking fifth seed Rybarikova three times, crucially so at 5-4, before going on to claim the opener.
The second set was a different story though as Williams found her rhythm and roared away to seal victory in an hour and 25 minutes.
The world number 20, who is playing her first tournament since the third round of January's Australian Open, now meets Olga Puchkova for a place in the final in Brazil.
Russian Puchkova downed another Slovakian Jana Cepelova 6-1 6-1 to retain her interest in the competition.
In the other half of the draw, Romania's Monica Niculescu will play seventh seed Kristina Mladenovic in the final four after respective wins over Timea Babos and Melinda Czink, both of Hungary.

Brasil Cup results

Quarter-finals

1-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat 5-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) 6-4 6-0

Olga Puchkova (Russia) beat Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-1

Monica Niculescu (Romania) beat Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-3 6-2

7-Kristina Mladenovic (France) beat Melinda Czink (Hungary) 6-4 6-3

Acapulco International results

Quarter-finals

1-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 5-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-4 6-4

Alize Cornet (France) beat 7-Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) 3-6 7-6(10) 7-6(2)

Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) beat Karin Knapp (Italy) 6-2 6-2

2-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat 6-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 6-7(5) 6-4 6-2

Malaysian Open results

Quarter-finals

Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Austria) 7-5 6-1

4-Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) 6-7(7) 6-4 6-1

Round 2

2-Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) beat Zhang Shuai (China) 6-2 6-2

Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Austria) beat Wang Qiang (China) 6-3 6-2

3-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 6-3 6-3

Ashleigh Barty (Australia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6(3) 6-4

Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) beat 7-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-2 6-4

Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat 5-Misaki Doi (Japan) 6-4 7-6(7)

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) beat Duan Yingying (China) 6-1 6-4

4-Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Nudnida Luangnam (Thailand) 6-3 6-1

Round 1

2-Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) beat Kurumi Nara (Japan) 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4
 
Nadal sets up Almagro clash in Acapulco

Rafael Nadal's bid for a second title since returning from injury continued with a straight-set win over Leonardo Mayer as the Spaniard reached the semi-finals in Acapulco.
Nadal, playing his third tournament since a seven-month lay-off with a knee problem, saw off the challenge of his Argentine opponent 6-1 7-5 in an hour and 41 minutes.
"I'm enjoying playing tennis again," Nadal said. "When you are recuperating there are always going to be bad days, but right now there are more good days than bad."
The world number five flew through the first set, winning 87 per cent of his first-service points and not dropping a single point on his second serve.
Mayer, currently ranked 77 in the world, offered more resistance in the second set and even ****** two break points, but was unable to take either one.
Nadal, who won the Brazil Open title last month, had three chances of his own but needed just one in the end, taking it at 5-5 before serving out for the win.
The second seed, appearing at the tournament in Mexico for the first time since he won it in 2005, now meets compatriot and third seed Nicolas Almagro for a place in Sunday's final.
The Mallorcan has never lost to Almagro in their eight previous meetings.
Almagro, himself a two-times title-winner in Mexico, saw off Horacio Zeballos of Argentina 6-3 6-4 to set up the mouth-watering semi-final.
The world number 12 called on his trusty serve, sending down 10 aces on the red dirt on his way to sealing victory in 70 minutes.
In the other half of the draw, David Ferrer continued his march towards the final, beating Italy's Paolo Lorenzi 6-3 6-1.
Ferrer, who has gone one better than Almagro in winning the tournament three times, made it 18 wins on the bounce in Acapulco despite going down a break early on in the opening set.
He ended the clash with five breaks to his name and will now meet another Italian Fabio Fognini, after he beat Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 7-5 6-4.

Acapulco International results

Quarter-finals

2-Rafa Nadal (Spain) beat Leonardo Mayer (Argentina) 6-1 7-5

3-Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 8-Horacio Zeballos (Argentina) 6-3 6-4

Fabio Fognini (Italy) beat Santiago Giraldo (Colombia) 7-5 6-4

1-David Ferrer (Spain) beat Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) 6-3 6-1
 
:drawheart: Karolinka is unstoppable!

The only semifinalist yet to drop a set, Pliskova fired 11 aces and only lost one more game from 5-5 in the first set of her 75 61 defeat of Patricia Mayr-Achleitner. Through to her first WTA semifinal, the Czech's last WTA main draw match win before this week was her opener here last year.

The day wasn't a total success for Pliskova, as she and ****** Kristyna fell in the doubles semifinals to second-seeded Shuko Aoyama and Chang Kai-Chen.

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French tribunal blocks Roland Garros refurbishment

The extension of the French Open's Roland Garros stadium, which has been championed by Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe, has been stopped by an administrative tribunal.
The project was approved by the city's government two years ago but the tribunal ruled that the local residents' complaints were not thoroughly considered and the fee payable by the French tennis federation was set too low.
The extension, which the FFT said would cost 273 million euros, has been fought by residents' associations because the building work would encroach on the nearby Auteuil botanical greenhouse complex.
The FFT said it would appeal.
"The French Tennis Federation has noted with astonishment the decision of the Administrative Tribunal of Paris," a statement said.
"Contesting the grounds for the annulment and convinced the project is respectful to the site, it will appeal the decision and request a stay of execution."
The mayor's office was equally shocked.
"The City of Paris is determined to achieve this beautiful project for Paris and will promptly agree with the FFT on the way forward."
The venue for the French Open, the second grand slam tournament of the season which welcomes over 400,000 spectators in late May and early June, has been in need of renovation for years.
The FFT has said that after an extension, the French Open would be equipped with a centre court with a retractable roof.
The federation also guaranteed "increased levels of comfort and more room for all involved (players and spectators) and a stadium with the latest in terms of infrastructure".
 
Berdych stuns Federer to make Dubai final

Tomas Berdych saved three match points on his way to beating titleholder Roger Federer 3-6 7-6 6-4 in the Dubai Championships semi-finals, setting up a showdown with world number one Novak Djokovic in Saturday's final.
Federer surged from 5-2 down in the second set but then fluffed three match points in the tie-break before Czech Berdych ****** a deciding set with a bludgeoned return winner.
In the final set, two miscued forehands and a double fault from Federer gave Berdych two break points at 2-2.
The Swiss saved the first with an ace but skewed another forehand wide to fall 3-2 behind and Berdych was able to serve out the match for a fifth win in his past eight meetings with Federer.
Earlier, Djokovic extended his winning streak to 17 matches by beating Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 7-6.
Djokovic, unbeaten since October in a run that includes a third straight Australian Open title, eventually proved too much for a defiant Del Potro.
The Serbian had breezed through the opening three rounds without dropping a set but Del Potro - the only man outside of the men's 'big four' to win a Grand Slam since 2005 - was a different prospect.
The former U.S. Open champion squandered a 3-0 second-set lead only to then break back when Djokovic was serving for the match at 5-4 up in the second, with the Argentine ******* a tiebreak.
Djokovic ultimately triumphed, a forehand winner from mid-court the only point in the tiebreak going against serve.
"His serve is very powerful, his forehand from the back of the court he can do anything with - I needed to stay in it when I was a break down," Djokovic said in a courtside interview.
"I played a poor game when I needed to close it out but he's a great player, so it was always going to be challenging."
The three-time Dubai champion did not start with his usual fluency but he improved as the sun set and the temperature fell.
Djokovic claimed the first break point with Del Potro serving at 2-3, the Argentine drifting a forehand long from mid-court.
The Serbian seized the chance, pushing his opponent wide with an angled drive that found Del Potro wanting and went 4-2 up.
Djokovic dictated play from the baseline, exploiting every short ball and finding angles that had the towering Del Potro scrambling in vain to counter and he sealed the first set in 35 minutes.
Djokovic is a crowd favourite but the Argentines in the stands, dressed in the national team's colours, cheered their man's every point, chanting his name at end-changes.
That seemed to inspire him and he held to love in the second set's opening game before going 0-40 up in the next.
Djokovic saved the first two break points with successive aces but the third saw him drag a cross-court backhand wide to fall 2-0 behind.
Serving at 3-1, Del Potro scuffed a backhand into the net to give Djokovic a break point.
Preparing to serve, Del Potro was given a time ********* which was met with a cacophony of boos from the stands. When the point was played, the Argentine mis-hit to gift a break back.
Djokovic raced into a 5-3 lead, faltered, then showed his class to book a place in his fourth Dubai final in five years.
 
Berdych stuns Federer to make Dubai final

Tomas Berdych saved three match points on his way to beating titleholder Roger Federer 3-6 7-6 6-4 in the Dubai Championships semi-finals, setting up a showdown with world number one Novak Djokovic in Saturday's final.
Czech Berdych recorded his fifth win in eight matches over Federer, triumphing 3-6 7-6 6-4 while top seed Djokovic beat Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 7-6.
Djokovic and Federer have claimed eight of the past 10 Dubai titles between them and the 5,000 capacity crowd were urging the world's top two to win through under the floodlights.
Serb Djokovic obliged in the first semi but a tired Federer fell short, losing at the semi-finals stage of the tournament for the first time in eight appearances.
"I couldn't have a better feeling than this one, coming from court playing Roger almost in front of his home crowd," Berdych said.
The Swiss went into the match with an 11-5 winning record against the world number six, although the Czech had been victorious in four of their past seven meetings, including at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Federer broke in the first set when Berdych slugged a whipped forehand from mid-court into the net for a 5-3 lead. He sealed the set with a second set ace.
The Swiss surged from 5-2 down in the second, but then fluffed three match points in the tiebreak before Berdych ****** a deciding set with a bludgeoned return winner.
In the final set, two miscued forehands and a double fault from Federer gave Berdych two break points at 2-2.
The Swiss saved the first with an ace, but skewed another forehand wide to fall 3-2 behind and Berdych served out the match.
"I leave this match with a lot of regrets," Federer said. "The match was in my racket. You do all the right things for so long and then at the end you've got to explain why you didn't hit two shots decent."
Earlier, Djokovic extended his winning streak to 17 matches by beating Del Potro 6-3 7-6.
Djokovic, unbeaten since October in a run that includes a third straight Australian Open title, eventually proved too much for a defiant Del Potro.
The Serbian had breezed through the opening three rounds without dropping a set but Del Potro - the only man outside of the men's 'big four' to win a Grand Slam since 2005 - was a different prospect.
The former U.S. Open champion squandered a 3-0 second-set lead only to then break back when Djokovic was serving for the match at 5-4 up in the second, with the Argentine ******* a tiebreak.
Djokovic ultimately triumphed, a forehand winner from mid-court the only point in the tiebreak going against serve.
"His serve is very powerful, his forehand from the back of the court he can do anything with - I needed to stay in it when I was a break down," Djokovic said in a courtside interview.
"I played a poor game when I needed to close it out but he's a great player, so it was always going to be challenging."
The three-time Dubai champion did not start with his usual fluency but he improved as the sun set and the temperature fell.
Djokovic claimed the first break point with Del Potro serving at 2-3, the Argentine drifting a forehand long from mid-court.
The Serbian seized the chance, pushing his opponent wide with an angled drive that found Del Potro wanting and went 4-2 up.
Djokovic dictated play from the baseline, exploiting every short ball and finding angles that had the towering Del Potro scrambling in vain to counter and he sealed the first set in 35 minutes.
Djokovic is a crowd favourite but the Argentines in the stands, dressed in the national team's colours, cheered their man's every point, chanting his name at end-changes.
That seemed to inspire him and he held to love in the second set's opening game before going 0-40 up in the next.
Djokovic saved the first two break points with successive aces but the third saw him drag a cross-court backhand wide to fall 2-0 behind.
Serving at 3-1, Del Potro scuffed a backhand into the net to give Djokovic a break point.
Preparing to serve, Del Potro was given a time ********* which was met with a cacophony of boos from the stands. When the point was played, the Argentine mis-hit to gift a break back.
Djokovic raced into a 5-3 lead, faltered, then showed his class to book a place in his fourth Dubai final in five years.

ATP Dubai semi-final results

3-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat 2-Roger Federer (Switzerland) 3-6 7-6(8) 6-4

1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beat 4-Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 6-3 7-6(4)

:update:
 
Isner fells Anderson to reach Delray semis

Top seed John Isner downed defending champion Kevin Anderson 6-2 7-6 in a battle of tennis giants to march into the semi-finals of the Delray Beach International.
The 6ft 9in Isner blasted 17 aces against the 6ft 8in South African to prevail in 79 minutes and will play Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin for a place in the final.
Roger-Vasselin was too good for Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, advancing with a fuss-free 6-4 6-3 victory.
Second-seeded German Tommy Haas had more trouble getting past Croatian Ivan Dodig but prevailed 7-6 2-6 6-1.
Haas, the 2006 champion, will meet 2010 winner Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the other semi-final.
Both 34-year-old Haas and Dodig struggled on serve throughout their match but the German veteran captured an early break to steal a march in the third and rode the momentum to victory.
"Right now I have to be very thankful my body is holding up great," said former world number two Haas, the oldest player in the men's top 50.
"When the third set started I was feeling, 'OK, here we go, let's just try to get a good start' - and I had a good start breaking him right away."
The 19th-ranked Haas has enjoyed a late career renaissance following two injury-blighted years with hip and elbow problems and was named ATP Comeback of the Year in 2012 after climbing 184 spots to break into the top 25.
He faces an opponent 10 years his junior in Gulbis.
"I'm not so worried about my age," said Haas, who made the final at the San Jose Open last month.
"I'll worry about it when my birthday comes along and I'll recognise the fact I'm going to turn 35 and I'll celebrate it.
"But when you're on the court competing against somebody who's 20 or 25 it doesn't matter. You're out there trying to win."
Gulbis came back from 0-4 in the deciding set to defeat Sam Querrey on Thursday, but was much more clinical in his 6-1 6-4 defeat of Spaniard Daniel Munoz.

Delray Beach International results

Quarter-finals

1-John Isner (U.S.) beat 6-Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-2 7-6(1)

Edouard Roger-Vasselin (France) beat Ricardas Berankis (Lithuania) 6-4 6-3

2-Tommy Haas (Germany) beat Ivan Dodig (Croatia) 7-6(6) 2-6 6-1

Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) beat Daniel Munoz (Spain) 6-1 6-4
 
Serena gets in trouble for snapping Tiger

Tennis world number one Serena Williams found herself in trouble with security officials at the US PGA Tour's Honda Classic after she tried to photograph Tiger Woods.
Under US Tour rules, spectators are not allowed to take pictures or video of players on competition days.
A short video posted on CBS Sports' website shows a tournament official pulling Williams's phone down as she was about to snap a photograph with her phone during the second round of the Honda Classic and she then tweeted about the episode.
"Apparently you can't take pictures of golfers. In my defense peeps always take pics of tennis players," Williams tweeted.
Williams, who did manage to post a picture of Woods driving from the tee on her Twitter account, although it was not clear if she herself had taken the picture, also said the security was "mad" and "yelled" at her during the episode.
 
Venus ousted in Brazil semis

Venus Williams was stopped in her tracks in the semi-finals of the Brasil Cup by world number 109 Olga Puchkova.
Williams, the top seed in Florianopolis, dropped to the shock 4-6 6-4 7-5 defeat after tiring in the final set of the two-and-a-half hour match.
Russian Puchkova, who reached a career high 32nd in the world in 2007 but has never won a WTA title, will play Monica Niculescu in the final.
Puchkova delivered two telling blows to Williams, breaking late in both the second and third sets after the American had taken the opener thanks to a break of her own at 5-4.
Williams, playing her first tournament since the Australian Open in January, was broken a total of six times.
“I gave my best but just couldn’t play consistent enough today,” Williams said. “She played so well, it was hard.”
Romanian Niculescu steamrolled seventh seed Kristina Mladenovic of France 6-0 6-2 to set up the clash with Puchkova.
The 25-year-old from Moscow has not reached a final since 2006, when he secured two runners-up finishes.
“I’ll just try to play my best,” Puchkova said. “Let’s see what’s going to happen.”
At the Acapulco International, top seed Sara Errani breezed into the final with a 6-2 6-1 win over Alize Cornet, the third seed from France.
The Italian world number eight will play second seed Carla Suarez Navarro for the title after the Spaniard secured her progress through with a 6-2 6-1 win over her compatriot Silvia Soler Espinosa.

Brasil Cup results

Semi-finals

Olga Puchkova (Russia) beat 1-Venus Williams (U.S.) 4-6 6-4 7-5

Monica Niculescu (Romania) beat 7-Kristina Mladenovic (France) 6-0 6-2

Acapulco International results

Semi-finals

1-Sara Errani (Italy) beat 3-Alize Cornet (France) 6-2 6-1

2-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) beat Silvia Soler Espinosa (Spain) 6-2 6-1

Malaysian Open results

Quarter-finals

Bethanie Mattek-Sands (U.S.) beat 2-Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) 7-5 6-2

3-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) beat Ashleigh Barty (Australia) 6-2 6-0

Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat Patricia Mayr-Achleitner (Austria) 7-5 6-1

4-Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) 6-7(7) 6-4 6-1
 
Nadal slogs through to Acapulco final

Rafael Nadal advanced to the final of the Mexican Open by beating fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-5 6-4 in a clay-court slugfest in Acapulco.
Second seed Nadal, who is on the comeback trail after missing seven months due to a left knee injury, will face another Spaniard, three-time defending champion and top seed David Ferrer, in the final.
Ferrer defeated Italy's Fabio Fognini 6-3 6-7 6-1 earlier on Friday.
"I moved well today," Nadal said. "I can't say that (my knee) didn't trouble me sometimes, but the troubles are normal. What is most important is I didn't have any limitations."
Ranked 12th in the world, Almagro, the tournament's third seed, is the highest-ranked opponent Nadal has faced in his comeback so far.
While the former world number one appeared to move well throughout the match, he did visibly limp on his left leg after losing the first game of the second set.
But moments later the limp was gone and Nadal, now ranked fifth in the world, jogged to the opposite side of the court as the players changed sides.
Nadal, an 11-times Grand Slam champion, staved off all four break points he faced while breaking Almagro once each set.
That proved the difference and secured him a place in the final against Ferrer.
Last month, Nadal reached the final of the Chilean Open, and followed that up by winning the Brazil Open.
Acapulco marks his third clay-court tournament in four weeks.
Earlier, Ferrer was made to work hard to book his place in the final. The three-times defending champion in Mexico had easily beaten Fognini when the pair met at last week's ATP tournament in Buenos Aires, but this match was an altogether different affair.
The world number four claimed the opening set without too much fuss but Fognini, who had won just three games in the previous encounter, hit back to take the second on a tie-break and ***** a decider.
Ferrer looked to have lost his momentum in the first game of the third set as Fognini brought up three break points, but Spain's number one player on current form saved all three before going on to hold.
It proved to be a critical moment in the match as Ferrer, his composure having returned, breezed through the remainder of the set to seal victory in two hours and 23 minutes.
Victory for the top seed, who already has two titles to his name this season - Auckland and Buenos Aires - was his 19th on the bounce in Acapulco.
 
Djokovic downs Berdych to win Dubai title

Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 18 matches to claim a fourth Dubai Championships in five years on Saturday, underlining his status as the world's best player after beating Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-3 in the final.
The Serb was ruthless in coming back from a break down in the first set, converting two break points out of three, while Berdych only managed to make one of his four count.
In the second, Djokovic only needed one chance to make the break he needed to go 5-3 up and then serve out the match, a flat forehand into the corner sealing the title.
The 25-year-old is unbeaten since October, did not drop a set in Dubai and he has now won all 13 matches against top 10 opponents since Andy Murray defeated him in last year's US Open final.
In that time, he has added the ATP World Tour Finals crown and a third straight Australian Open crown.
 
Djokovic downs Berdych to win Dubai title

Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 18 matches to claim a fourth Dubai Championships in five years on Saturday, underlining his status as the world's best player after beating Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-3 in the final.
The Serb is unbeaten since October, did not drop a set in Dubai and he has now won all 13 matches against top-10 opponents since Andy Murray defeated him in last year's U.S. Open final.
That run includes claiming a third straight Australian Open crown and his latest Dubai triumph now takes him to 36 singles titles
"To prevail again, to be the last man standing  it was never going to be an easy final - Tomas is a fantastic player and it could have gone either way," Djokovic said in a courtside interview.
Ultimately, the 25-year-old won because he took his chances, converting three break points out of four, while Berdych only managed to make one of his five count.
Yet it was the Czech who started the stronger, belying a 12-1 losing record against Djokovic as the world number six dropped only four points in his opening three services games.
Berdych, who saved three match points before beating Roger Federer in Friday's semis, also made the first break of the final, bypassing an onrushing Djokovic with a running lob winner into the corner for a 3-2 lead.
The crowd, stunned their hero had faltered, bellowed Djokovic's name and the six-times grand slam champion responded with a change of tactics, retreating to the baseline as he dug in against the Berdych onslaught.
Djokovic looked anguished after a cross-court backhand drifted long, his shoulders drooping to reveal just what a struggle he had in putting any pressure on Berdych.
But that image proved illusory and the Czech, who was initially so at ease on serve, wilted under the power, precision and variety of his opponent's ground strokes.
Berdych missed an easy volley from mid-court that would have delivered a 5-3 lead and then repeated the blunder moments later to give Djokovic a break back for 4-4.
"I was giving him too much time to control the points - that resulted with a break down," Djokovic told reporters.
"I fight and believe I can come back - that's something that can eventually decide the winner in these kinds of matches, just hanging in there, waiting for your chance and then going for it."
Berdych could have made immediate amends, but he missed three break points in the next game to reveal a weakness around the net.
At 6-5 behind, Berdych then double-faulted to gift Djokovic the set.
"I had a break, but playing with the best returning guy on tour, it's an advantage but not something really huge," Berdych told reporters, adding the pressure Djokovic put on his serve was mentally and physically draining.
The Czech was playing a ninth match in 11 days, having lost the final of Marseille Open to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday, and that punishing schedule eventually told.
Djokovic was rarely troubled in the second set and needed only one chance to take a decisive lead 5-3 lead, clinching the title with a flat forehand into the corner.

:update:
 
Isner and Haas lose to qualifiers in Delray semis

Top seeds John Isner and Tommy Haas were dumped out of the Delray Beach International semi-finals by two players ranked outside the world's top 100, as Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Ernests Gulbis advanced to Sunday's final.
Gulbis, ranked 109th in the world, beat second seed Haas 6-3 4-6 7-6(2) in two hours and 14 minutes on Saturday before Frenchman Roger-Vasselin, ranked 105th, knocked off big-serving American Isner 6-4 4-6 6-4.
Roger-Vasselin played solid tennis throughout to advance to his first ATP singles final, overcoming 21 aces from world No. 15 Isner to prevail in two hours and eight minutes.
Gulbis, who won here in 2010 but had to come through qualifying this year, fought off eight of 10 break points, while Haas, ranked 19th in the world, lost all three he faced.
"Because it's the first tournament outdoors after an indoor season ... qualifiers have one small advantage," he said. "They've played already three matches before the main draw guys play one match.
"That's why I think it's a lot of upsets. The good players, usually they're not used to the conditions."
Latvian will Gulbis will be playing in his third ATP final on Sunday. He won his first two.
 
Nadal crushes Ferrer to win Mexican Open

A dominant Rafa Nadal dismantled fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-0 6-2 to win his second Mexican Open title and continue his successful comeback from a long injury lay-off.
Nadal, ranked fifth in the world, needed just over an hour to dispatch top seed Ferrer and was delighted with his form.
"For me, I played almost perfectly," said Nadal following the match. "My knee responded well all week."
Nadal also confirmed he would play in next week's Indian Wells hard-court tournament, despite speculation he might skip the event to spare his knee.
"My heart tells me I should continue competing, that I need to move on to the next tournament," he added.
Nadal had been sidelined for more than seven months due to a partially torn tendon in his knee. He made his return early last month at the Chilean Open, losing in the final to Argentine Horacio Zeballos. A week later he claimed the Brazil Open title.
The former world number one charged out of the blocks and won the first eight games against three-time defending champion Ferrer, who saw his 19-match winning streak at the clay-court event come to an end.
"Rafa was just better than me today," said Ferrer.
World No.4 Ferrer waited 44 minutes to win his first game of the final, the crowd erupting in applause as he put away a service winner to trail 2-1 in the second set.
With Ferrer serving down 3-1, an extended rally in which both players scrambled back and forth from the net ended with a top-spin lob winner by Nadal, bringing the crowd to its feet and the score to 30-30.
Second seed Nadal, the 2005 Mexican Open champion, won the next two points to go up two breaks in the set and virtually put the match away.
He pocketed $291,800 in prize money for the win.
 
Czech Pliskova wins first WTA title in Malaysia

Unseeded Czech Karolina Pliskova won her maiden WTA singles title beating American wildcard entrant Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the Malaysian Open final on Sunday.
The 20-year-old, playing her first singles final, dropped her first set in the tournament but rallied past Mattek-Sands 1-6 7-5 6-3.
"I was a little nervous at the start and couldn't get my serves in. That contributed to the heavy (first set) loss," Pliskova told reporters.
"I woke up in the second set and began to serve better. This helped turn the tide.
"It was a tough match but I'm delighted to win my first singles title. I still can't believe it."
Mattek-Sands got off to a flying start and looked set to win her first singles title in her fourth final but the big-serving Czech, ranked 127, found her way back into the match.
The match was tied 1-1 in the third and final set when a thunderstorm and rain halted play for more than 30 minutes on another hot and humid day in Kuala Lumpur.
"I'm still happy with the way I played all week. I don't think the rain delay affected me at all," Mattek-Sands said. "Just that she played very well.
"The beauty of tennis is that there is another tournament next week so I just have to pick myself up and get on with it."
Pliskova, who served 10 aces in the match, collected $40,000 in prize money.
 
Errani Defends Acapulco Title

Sara Errani started strong and hung on to defeat Carla Suárez Navarro in the final of the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL on Saturday. It was the Italian's WTA-leading 18th match win of the year.
Sometimes a player will have a breakthrough year but the next year succumb to the sophomore slump - maybe they're a little drained, maybe the other players are figuring out how to play them more, or perhaps another reason. Sara Errani has been defying all of that in 2013 though, and on Saturday the Italian picked up her first WTA title of the year at the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL.
The No.1-seeded Errani didn't drop a set all week and then came out like a house on fire in the final against Carla Suárez Navarro, winning the first eight games of the match and, after a very grueling next eight games, finally closing out the No.2-seeded Spaniard after a 68-minute second set, 6-0 6-4.
"In the first set the ball was much more live and the points were going much quicker, and I just played an incredible set," Errani said after the match. "Even in the second set until 2-0 for me, 15-40 on her serve, I was in control, playing very aggressively. But the ball started getting heavier and the rallies were getting much tougher, and also she started to play much better. It got very difficult at the end.
"I'm so happy I closed it out at the end. Carla was playing really well. I'm even happier because it's my first time defending a WTA title. I love this tournament - it's a really special tournament for me."
Errani comes away with her seventh WTA title. She won her first two in 2008 (at Palermo and Portoroz) and her next four during her breakthrough 2012 (at Acapulco, Barcelona, Budapest and Palermo).
And another impressive feat for the Italian? She is now the WTA match win leader for the season, with 18 wins - five of them coming this week. Second on the list is Agnieszka Radwanska with 17 wins.
Suárez Navarro put up an impressive fight in the second set but still fell to 0-4 in WTA finals.
"I have no reason to be sad - she just played better than me. She was unbeatable tonight," Suárez Navarro said. "But I'm still satisfied. This is a great tournament and I had a great week here."
One of the big storylines of the tournament was the epic quarterfinal match between Alizé Cornet and Lourdes Domínguez Lino on Thursday night, where the No.3-seeded Cornet saved nine match points and battled for over three and a half hours to edge the No.7-seeded Domínguez Lino, 3-6 7-6(10) 7-6(2).

Some say the best way to get over a singles loss is to win the doubles, though, and that's just what she did - the No.4-seeded Domínguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja didn't lose a set all week and dusted it off with a 6-4 7-6(1) win over Colombians Catalina Castaño and Mariana Duque-Mariño.
Domínguez Lino and Parra Santonja now have three WTA doubles titles together, after Acapulco in 2007 and Barcelona in 2008. Domínguez Lino now has five WTA doubles titles, Parra Santonja six.
 
Niculescu Conquers Florianopolis

Monica Niculescu survived triple match point in her first round match and another marathon in the final to capture her first WTA title at the inaugural WTA Brasil Tennis Cup in Florianopolis.
Monica Niculescu was in quite the predicament in her first round match on Monday, losing the first set to Anabel Medina Garrigues and facing triple match point down 6-3 in the second set tie-break. But she found a way out of that one and on Saturday night, five days and four more wins later, the Romanian was holding her first WTA title at the inaugural WTA Brasil Tennis Cup.
For obvious reasons, Niculescu's three-hour, eight-minute, 5-7 7-6(7) 6-1 comeback win against Medina Garrigues in the first round was a game-changer for the tournament - it may have given Niculescu the new breath of life that would eventually take her to the title.
Three straight set wins later - 6-1 6-1, 6-3 6-2 and 6-0 6-2, respectively - Niculescu was in her third WTA final, playing for her first WTA title. But on the other side of the net was a player with the same motivations - Olga Puchkova was also looking for her first WTA title in her third WTA final, and she had a string of big wins to her name from earlier in the week too, having picked off No.3 seed Kirsten Flipkens in the first round and No.1 seed Venus Williams in the semis. The Russian was ready to go.
Niculescu's mix of spins, paces and angles was too much for Puchkova in the early goings, as she built a 6-2 2-0 lead; Puchkova fought back though, winning six of the next eight games to take the second set and push the match to a third. Niculescu came out strong again, building a 4-2 lead, when Puchkova fought back again, evening it at 4-all - but Niculescu pounced one last time, breaking the Russian at 15 and holding her own serve at 15 to complete a near-two hour, 6-2 4-6 6-4 championship victory.
"I was very tired and she was playing very well - it got very tough at the end," Niculescu said. "But I just kept fighting. I knew I had to be more aggressive but still think a lot on the court, and I was able to gain control of the match at the end again. I was very tired, so I am very happy I could win tonight."
Niculescu was asked about the feeling of winning her first WTA title. "I competed in two finals before and lost to Azarenka and Venus, and today I finally managed to win one - I'm so happy," she said. "I felt so tired on the court but really, really wanted to win, and right now I can't really explain how happy I feel. I'll just relax tonight and go to bed, and tomorrow I'll think about what I've done here.
"I think tomorrow I'll realize what I've accomplished."
Niculescu and Puchkova were playing for the first time on the WTA, though they met on the court once before. "She was telling me that we played in the juniors, though I don't remember it!" Niculescu said. "But we are good friends. She's very nice. I'm very happy I played against her in the final.
"We've been talking every day and can't believe we made the final. I hope the audience enjoyed it."
And will the Romanian be back in Brazil next year? "Definitely I will come here next year to defend my title," she said. "The transport, the food, the hotel - it was all fantastic. It was also near the mall and the beach is beautiful too. I had all I needed in Florianopolis this week - everything was perfect."

The doubles final was played Friday, with No.1 seeds Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava Shvedova beating Anne Keothavong and Valeria Savinykh, 6-0 6-4. Medina Garrigues and Shvedova won their first WTA doubles title together - Medina Garrigues now has 19 WTA doubles titles, Shvedova seven.
 
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