Berdych stuns Djokovic to enter semis

Serena advances in women's event; Sharapova withdraws

Czech Tomas Berdych tasted only his second victory in 15 clashes with Novak Djokovic to reach the semifinals of the Rome Masters on Friday, coming from nowhere to stun the world number one 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 at the Foro Italico.  

 Djokovic looked poised for a routine victory with some majestic tennis putting him 6-2, 5-2 ahead but Berdych's power game suddenly caught fire to leave the Serb reeling.  Apart from a victory in the 2010 Wimbledon semifinals it has been a tale of woe for Berdych against Djokovic, including two defeats this year, but the world number six produced a display that augurs well for his French Open hopes.  For Djokovic his Roland Garros preparations have not gone to plan since beating Rafael Nadal to win the Monte Carlo title, losing early in Madrid last week and now snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Berdych.  Frenchman Benoit Paire reached his first Masters Series semifinal with a 6-1, 6-0 thrashing of Marcel Granollers. Serena Williams continued her march towards another title by pulversising Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0 while her most fierce rival Maria Sharapova withdrew from her quarterfinal with home favourite Sara Errani because of illness. Former women's champion Jelena Jankovic was beaten by Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.  On Thursday,  Nadal recovered from losing the opening five games against Ernests Gulbis to book his place in the quarterfinals.The Spaniard, looking for his seventh Rome title, was shaken by a ferocious onslaught from Gulbis, losing the first set in 34 minutes, but recovered to win 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.  Serena tied her longest career winning streak with a 6-0, 6-1 rout of Dominika Cibulkova, taking her run of victories to 21. Williams, who served five aces in one game, looks unstoppable but issued a few words of caution. 
 Hesh-Bops advance

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna entered the quarterfinals but it was curtains for Leander Paes and his Austrian partner Jurgen Melzer.Bhupathi and Bopanna scored a 6-2, 6-3 win over unseeded British team of Dominic Inglot and Jonathan Marray in the second round. 

However, Paes and Melzer made an early exit after a close 6-7 (4-7) 6-7 (3-7) defeat against Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and Scott Lipsky.