Upsets Shape Semifinals At Rogers Cup
Posted August 11, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
And then there were four.
As the dust settled after Rogers Cup action Friday, the four semifinalists had taken their places setting up a situation where tournament top seed Roger Federer could meet an unseeded player in the final.
Assuming of course that he gets there.
And that assumption might be a foolish one after the day’s first two matches provided major upsets.
Britain’s Andy Murray downed 14 seed Jarkko Nieminen of Finland, while Richard Gasquet of France (pictured) defeated 13th seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
Berdych’s upset is especially surprising and ironic, considering he disposed of the tournament’s second seed and the only man to beat Federer in 2006 when he outlasted Spain’s Rafael Nadal in three sets Thursday.
But Gasquet needed only 66 minutes to complete the 6-4, 6-1 victory a day later, though he was quick to offer praise for his badly beaten opponent.
“I served well and I returned well and I think against him it’s important because he’s really aggressive,” Gasquet said.
The 20-year-old Frenchman won 92 per cent of his points on first serve, compared to only 55 per cent for Berdych, who blamed the loss in part to an emotional hangover.
“The emotions are there after the big match, like with Rafael,” Berdych said. “But then you have to take everything out and then just go for another singles (match) and just take the confidence from (it).”
So now Gasquet will play Murray on Saturday, while Federer, who advanced with a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-3 win over Xavier Malisse of Belgium will meet the only other seeded player left in the draw, 15th ranked Fernando Gonzalez of Chile.
