Pakistan tennis star Aisam ul Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna of India crashed out of the Vienna Open Tennis Tournament after a quarterfinal defeat to M Fyrstenberg and M Matkowski of Poland on Friday. In the quarterfinal match, the Polish pair won the first set by 6-4. Aisam-Bopanna played well in the second set and won the set by 6-3. Indo-Pak lost the the contest on the super tie-breaker by 4-10. The scoreline of the match was 4-6, 6-3, 4-10.
Del Potro powers past Haas, Anderson puts out Melzer
AFP adds: Second seed Juan Martin Del Potro powered into his sixth semi-final of the season while two-time reigning champion Jurgen Melzer on Friday lost his first match since 2008 at the Austrian Open. Del Potro defeated German Tommy Haas 6-2, 6-4, with third-seeded Austrian Melzer going out against South African Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3.
The Austrian, whose last loss in the capital came in the 2008 quarter-finals to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, called the result in 63 minutes “disappointing”. “I couldn’t get a rhythm and he has that huge serve,” he said. Anderson will play only his fifth career semi-final when he takes on Del Potro after losing to the Argentine in February in Delray Beach, just a fortnight after winning his first career title at home in Johannesburg. The 32nd-ranked Anderson, making his Austrian debut, fired 11 aces without facing a break point as he took the victory. German Daniel Brands won a battle of qualifiers, defeating Belgian Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-4 with a match to come against either French top seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or experienced Xavier Malisse of Belgium. Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion, has been working to recover his best form after wrist surgery in 2010. “I’m into another semi-final, this is important for my year and my progress. To beat Haas indoors is a good win,” said the Argentine.
“Tommy is dangerous. If you don’t focus against him you can make mistakes. I was able to close it out well with my serve. But I need to play better if I’m to get any further.” Haas, 33, who underwent hip surgery in 2010, was playing in his first quarter-final in more than two years and had to qualify for the main draw.
Del Potro still has a chance of claiming one of the eight places in the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London next month. He stands provisional 12th in the race, with three spots in the eight-man field still open and only two more weeks to go in the regular ATP season. Del Potro, who defeated Haas in 80 minutes with 10 aces and three breaks of serve, will lead his nation against Spain in the December 2-4 Davis Cup final in Seville.
