13/06/2014

Aegon Championships: Day 5

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Top seed Stan Wawrinka through to last four

Stan Wawrinka became the last man to book his place in the Aegon Championships semi-finals with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Marinko Matosevic.

It was an impressive match from the top seed, who looked in control for the duration, giving Matosevic no break point opportunities over the match.

The world No. 3 is bidding for his fourth title of the year and his win today sets up an exciting semi-final against fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov tomorrow.

Fiftieth career win for Feliciano Lopez

Spain’s Feliciano Lopez knocked second seed Tomas Berdych out of the Aegon Championships for a place in the final four.

Lopez beat Berdych 6-4, 7-6(7) to claim his first win against a top 10 player since he beat Stan Wawrinka in Gstaad last July.

The world No. 29 delivered an impressive serving display, firing thirteen aces past his Czech opponent, eleven coming in the second set, and winning 90% of points behind his first serve.

In the second set tiebreaker Berdych led 6-3, but Lopez kept up his formidable serving to save set points and eventually close out the match in under two hours. Tenth seed Lopez enjoyed his fiftieth career win on grass today and will now play Radek Stepanek in the semi-final tomorrow.

Looking ahead to that semi-final clash, he said: “Radek is an experienced player. He knows how to play here. He had very good hands. Kind of similar to my game. Maybe my serve is a little bit harder. But he does few things that I also like to do, so it’s going to be an interesting match.”

Radek Stepanek continues impressive run

Radek Stepanek followed up his victory over defending champion Andy Murray with another scalp today, defeating seventh seed Kevin Anderson for a place in the semi-finals of the Aegon Championships.

Stepanek came from a set down to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, sealing his victory with a 120mph ace.

After the match Stepanek said: “I had a slow start, but I wouldn’t call it a slow start because Kevin played – for the first set, it was a perfect game of tennis”.

“I just had to wait until the first weaker moment to come and take my chance, which happened in the first of his service games in the second set. I got in front, and, you know, ran through those two sets pretty comfortably”.

He plays either Feliciano Lopez next.

Grigor Dimitrov straight to semi-finals

Eighth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov has withdrawn from the Aegon Championships with a right thigh strain, giving Grigor Dimitrov a ticket straight through to the semi-finals .

After his 7-6, 6-4 win against Edouard Roger-Vasselin yesterday fourth seed Dimitrov said he was enjoying the return to the grass: “I felt rejuvenated as soon as I came out here and just felt really good. That put a smile on my face”.

The Bulgarian will play either top seed Stan Wawrinka or the only unseeded player left in the last eight, Marinko Matosevic, next.

Quarter-finals doubles action

Britain's Jamie Murray and Australia's John Peers are through to the doubles semi-finals of the Aegon Championships, beating Kevin Anderson from South Africa and Jonathan Erlich from Israel 6-4, 7-6(14).

Murray and Peers took the first set 6-4, but neither duo was able to capitalise on their break point opportunities in the second set and the match was sealed with a thrilling 30 point tiebreaker.

They will face French pair Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin tomorrow.

Order of play for day six.