Rosol, Janowicz to meet in Winston-Salem decider

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608889header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608889header.jpg" /></a>Lukas Rosol and Jerzy Janowicz both needed three sets to advance to the Winston-Salem Open final on Friday.<br /> <br /> Czech seventh seed Rosol got the better of Taiwan's Yen-Hsun, edging the ninth seed 7-5 4-6 6-4 in the semi-final of the ATP World Tour event.<br /> <br /> After almost surrendering a 5-2 advantage in the second set, Rosol broke Lu's serve to take a 5-4 lead in the deciding stanza and fended off three break points as he claimed the match in two hours and three minutes at Wake Forest University.<br /> <br /> "I'm happy for this result and I hope it's not finished yet," said Rosol, who has reached the quarter-finals or better at his past five tournaments since losing to Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon.<br /> <br /> "I was not down in the third set. I was the first one to break. You just have to (mentally) stay in the court.<br /> <br /> "I have some work in front of me and I'm always trying to find the highest possible level."<br /> <br /> Rosol, who sent down eight aces and claim a total of four break points, will now face unseeded Pole Janowicz in Saturday's showpiece clash in North Carolina.<br /> <br /> Janowicz, who earned successive wins for the first time in 2014 this week, came from a set down to topple American hopeful Sam Querrey 4-6 7-5 6-4 in two hours and 18 minutes.<br /> <br /> Despite losing the ace count 18-7, Janowicz won five breaks of serve and saved 16 of his own to set-up a fourth career meeting against Rosol.<br /> <br /> Janowicz leads the head-to-head record 2-1, though only one of those matches have come on the ATP circuit, with the Pole winning that clash in Marseille last year.<br /> <br /> The two previous meetings were on the Challenge Circuit in Prague (2011) and Germany (2009)

ATP World Tour Jerzy Janowicz Lukas Rosol tennis Rosol, Janowicz to meet in Winston-Salem decider

Lukas Rosol and Jerzy Janowicz both needed three sets to advance to the Winston-Salem Open final on Friday. Czech seventh seed Rosol got the better of Taiwan's Yen-Hsun, edging the ninth seed 7-5 4-6 6-4 in the semi-final of the ATP World Tour event.…

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Kvitova, Rybarikova win one-sided semis

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608893header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608893header.jpg" /></a>Petra Kvitova and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet in the Connecticut Open final, after winning one-sided semi-finals on Friday.<br /> <br /> Czech second seed Kvitova enjoyed a surprisingly comfortable win over Australian wildcard Sam Stosur, the world number four cruising to a 6-3 6-1 win in one hour 13 minutes in New Haven.<br /> <br /> The left-handed Kvitova put on a serving clinic, clocking 11 aces in just eight service games as she won her way through to her 17th WTA Tour final.<br /> <br /> The two-time Wimbledon champion broke in the fourth game of the first set and, despite blowing four set points on Stosur's serve in the eighth game, Kvitova held to love to seal the opener.<br /> <br /> And Stosur, ranked 25th, fell apart thereafter as she was broken in the first and third games of the second set as Kvitova coasted to a 4-0 lead.<br /> <br /> A third break of Stosur's serve sealed Kvitova's place in the final of the WTA Premier event, where she will meet Slovakia's Rybarikova.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova, the world number 68, eased past Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-4 in one hour 23 minutes.<br /> <br /> A first service percentage of 68 and seven aces helped Rybarikova into the final, as she broke Giorgi's serve three times, while fending off all 11 break points on her own serve.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova is into her sixth career WTA Tour final, having won four of her previous five deciders.<br /> <br /> The pair have not met on the WTA circuit proper but have had five meetings at lower-tier events - with Kvitova leading the head-to-head 4-1.<br /> <br /> Their last meeting, on clay in 2011, was Rybarikova's only victory over Kvitova, with the Czech winning all three of their clashes on hard courts

Magdalena Rybarikova Petra Kvitova tennis Kvitova, Rybarikova win one-sided semis

Petra Kvitova and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet in the Connecticut Open final, after winning one-sided semi-finals on Friday. Czech second seed Kvitova enjoyed a surprisingly comfortable win over Australian wildcard Sam Stosur, the world number four…

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Kvitova, Stosur tee up New Haven semi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607861header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607861header.jpg" /></a></div> Major champions Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur will clash in the Connecticut Open semi-finals, after respective wins on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Kvitova, the second seed in New Haven, downed fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in their quarter-final 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> Zahlavova Strycova started the better in the WTA Premier hard-court clash, breaking serve in the third game and preserving that lead with comfortable holds.<br /> <br /> Kvitova, though, broke back in the eighth game, and with Zahlavova Strycova serving to stay in the set, the two-time Wimbledon winner struck again to take the first set.<br /> <br /> From there, it was smooth sailing for Kvitova, who broke in the fourth and sixth games to coast to victory in one hour eight minutes.<br /> <br /> Stosur won an all-wildcard battle over Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, the Australian triumphant 6-3 4-6 6-3.<br /> <br /> Ranked 25th, Stosur is finding form at the right time of year ahead of next week's US Open, and the 2011 champion at Flushing Meadows hit 32 winners in her win over a brave Flipkens.<br /> <br /> On the other side of the draw, unseeded pair Camila Giorgi and Magdalena Rybarikova progressed.<br /> <br /> Slovakia's Rybarikova, who ousted top seed Simona Halep earlier in the tournament, continued her run with a 7-5 0-6 6-4 victory over American Alison Riske.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova won just 10 points in the second set, but overcame the glitch to reach the last four of a WTA Tour event for the second time this season.<br /> <br /> Playing off for a spot in the final will be Italy's Giorgi, who outmuscled Spain's Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2.<br /> <br /> Giorgi served 19 double faults - including 10 in the second set - but still managed to progress in two hours 14 minutes

Major champions Petra Kvitova Sam Stosur tennis Kvitova, Stosur tee up New Haven semi

Major champions Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur will clash in the Connecticut Open semi-finals, after respective wins on Thursday. Kvitova, the second seed in New Haven, downed fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in their quarter-final 6-4 6-1. Zah…

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Injured Isner withdraws, Goffin beaten

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607851header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607851header.jpg" /></a>An ankle injury saw John Isner withdraw from the Winston-Salem Open as David Goffin's winning run came to an end on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Isner, a two-time champion in North Carolina, suffered an ankle injury in his third-round win over Mikhail Kukushkin.<br /> <br /> The big-serving American pulled out of the ATP 250 event before his scheduled last-eight clash against Czech seventh seed Lukas Rosol.<br /> <br /> It is particularly worrying for Isner ahead of the US Open, which starts on Monday.<br /> <br /> "I am extremely disappointed to have to withdraw from the Winston-Salem Open, one of my favourite stops of the year," Isner said.<br /> <br /> "It is extra disappointing for me given that it is my hometown tournament.<br /> <br /> "I would have loved to continue to chase my third title here in Winston-Salem in front of these great fans, my friends and family."<br /> <br /> Rosol will face Chinese Taipei's Lu Yen-Hsun in the semi-finals after the ninth seed eased past Italian 14th seed Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-4.<br /> <br /> The other semi-final will be a meeting between two unseeded players.<br /> <br /> Talented Pole Jerzy Janowicz had no problems beating Goffin 6-4 6-2, ending the Belgian qualifier's winning run at 25 matches.<br /> <br /> He will face Sam Querrey after the American battled past Spanish fifth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 6-4.

ATP World Tour David Goffin's John Isner North Carolina tennis US Open Injured Isner withdraws, Goffin beaten

An ankle injury saw John Isner withdraw from the Winston-Salem Open as David Goffin's winning run came to an end on Thursday. Isner, a two-time champion in North Carolina, suffered an ankle injury in his third-round win over Mikhail Kukushkin. The bi…

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Djokovic handed Schwartzman test

Number one seed Novak Djokovic will take on Diego Schwartzman in the US Open first round next week.<br /> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/21/607483header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Djokovic handed Schwartzman test" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/21/607483header.jpg" title="Djokovic handed Schwartzman test" /></a><br /> Djokovic lost out to Rafael Nadal in the final at Flushing Meadows in 2013, going down in four sets to the Spaniard.<br /> <br /> Nadal has been forced out of this year's tournament with a wrist injury, and world number one Djokovic will come up against Schwartzman - 79 places below him in the rankings - in his opening contest.<br /> <br /> Should the Serbian progress through the opening four rounds, a mouth-watering last-eight clash awaits, with the likes of Andy Murray, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and home favourite John Isner all in Djokovic's quarter of the draw.<br /> <br /> Second seed Roger Federer, who won the tournament five times in succession between 2004 and 2008, begins his campaign against Marinko Matosevic, with the Swiss in line for a possible quarter-final against Grigor Dimitrov.<br /> <br /> The Bulgarian is widely tipped to lead the new generation of talent in the game and the 23-year-old begins his search for a first major title in a tie with American Ryan Harrison.<br /> <br /> Stanislas Wawrinka, who saw off Nadal in the Australian Open final earlier this year, opens against Jiri Vesely, with fifth seed Milos Raonic also pitted in Wawrinka's quarter.<br /> <br /> One notable first-round match sees world number seven Tomas Berdych face 2001 champion Lleyton Hewitt, while David Ferrer - seeded fourth - has been drawn against Damir Dzumhur, the world number 120 from Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Diego Schwartzman Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal tennis US Open Djokovic handed Schwartzman test

Number one seed Novak Djokovic will take on Diego Schwartzman in the US Open first round next week. Djokovic lost out to Rafael Nadal in the final at Flushing Meadows in 2013, going down in four sets to the Spaniard. Nadal has been forced out of this…

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