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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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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Benneteau, Ferrer enjoy rankings boosts

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/18/603913header.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/2014/8/18/603913header.jpg" /></a>Julien Benneteau is one place off a career-high ranking of 26 after his run to the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open.<br /> <br /> The Frenchman reached the final four of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event before bowing out to David Ferrer who, in turn, lost to Roger Federer in the final.<br /> <br /> However, his semi-final effort ensured he moved up 14 places to 27th in the world with Ferrer also jumping up a place into the top five thanks to his final appearance.<br /> <br /> Poland's Jerzy Janowicz is another big climber, moving 13 places to 52nd having reached the last 16 in Cincinnati before losing to Benneteau.<br /> <br /> While the world's top four remain unchanged, Ferrer and Milos Raonic occupy fifth and sixth respectively while Tomas Berdych drops to seventh after a tough time in Ohio.<br /> <br /> The Czech, seeded fourth for the competition, bowed out at the first hurdle to Lu Yen-hsun.<br /> <br /> In the WTA rankings, Ana Ivanovic replaces Victoria Azarenka in the top ten after the Serb contested the Western and Southern Open final on Sunday.<br /> <br /> Despite losing out to world number one Serena Williams, she moves into ninth while Azarenka drops seven places having lost in the quarter-finals to Agnieszka Radwanska.<br /> <br /> Svetlana Kuznetsova sits just outside the top 20, having reaching the last 16 before losing to Ivanovic in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> Like Kuznetsova, Roberta Vinci moves up three places despite bowing out at the first hurdle against Sabine Lisicki at the hard-court event in the United States.

ATP World Tour Julien Benneteau news sports Southern Open SPORTS tennis Western Benneteau, Ferrer enjoy rankings boosts

Julien Benneteau is one place off a career-high ranking of 26 after his run to the semi-finals of the Western and Southern Open. The Frenchman reached the final four of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event before bowing out to David Ferrer who, in t…

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Tomic handed US Open wildcard

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599009header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tomic handed US Open wildcard" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599009header.jpg" title="Tomic handed US Open wildcard" /></a>Bernard Tomic received a wildcard into the US Open main draw, starting later in August.<br /> <br /> The Australian, 21, claimed his second career ATP World Tour title when he won a hard-court event in Bogota in July, after also receiving a wildcard into the draw there.<br /> <br /> Tomic is ranked 70th as it stands, but was outside the automatic entry spots when the cut off was made weeks out from the major at Flushing Meadows.<br /> <br /> Since his triumph in Colombia, Tomic has just one tour-level match win to his name after losing to Denis Istomin in Washington, Ivo Karlovic in Toronto and Gilles Simon in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> Tomic received the wildcard as part of Tennis Australia's reciprocal agreement with the United States Tennis Association.<br /> <br /> The result of another reciprocal deal saw France's Michael Llodra handed a wildcard, the 34-year-old set for his 11th US Open appearance.<br /> <br /> The remaining wildcards all went the way of American talent, with Ryan Harrison, Tim Smyczek, Noah Rubin, Jared Donaldson, Marcos Giron and Wayne Odesnik.<br /> <br /> Smyczek is the highest ranked of that group at number 92 in the world, while Harrison (164th) and Odesnik (184th) reside in the top 200.<br /> <br /> Giron, 21, captured the National Collegiate Athletic Association tennis title in 2014 to earn his place in New York, while teenagers Noah Rubin - the under-18s national champion - and Jared Donaldson are also in the draw.

ATP World Tour Bernard Tomic news sports tennis US Open wildcard Tomic handed US Open wildcard

Bernard Tomic received a wildcard into the US Open main draw, starting later in August. The Australian, 21, claimed his second career ATP World Tour title when he won a hard-court event in Bogota in July, after also receiving a wildcard into the draw…

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