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Beijing, China (SportsNetwork. jerseys from china .com) - Reigning champion and three-time overall titlist Novak Djokovic and red-hot superstar Rafael Nadal were a pair of quarterfinal winners Friday at the $2.315 million China Open. The top-seeded world No. 1 Djokovic cut down 6-foot-6 American Sam Querrey 6-1, 6-2 in a mere 52 minutes, while the second-seeded former No. 1 Nadal came from behind to beat pesky Italian Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 on the hardcourts at the National Tennis Center. Nadal was one point away from trailing Fognini 2-6, 1-5 on Day 5 before mounting a dramatic comeback. The U.S. and French Open champion Nadal would supplant Djokovic atop the mens rankings with a victory over Tomas Berdych here on Saturday. The super Spaniard already owns a whopping 10 titles on tour this year and is currently riding a 20-match winning streak. "Its something that doesnt create more pressure for me," Nadal said. "Its something that already happened in the past. If that happens again, it will be good, it will be special for me, but well see. "I am going to have a very tough opponent in front of me. In the end, its another match. True, its a little bit more special for the circumstances, but nothing else. Its the semi-final match of a big tournament, I am going to try to be competitive and try to play my best tennis. If not, I am going to have no chance to be through. It is not the moment to think about No. 1; it is the moment to think about Berdych." Nadal is a dominant 15-3 lifetime against Berdych, who lost to the mighty Spaniard in the 2010 Wimbledon final. Nadal is 3-0 versus the Czech slugger this season. The 13-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, who was the China Open champ back in 2005, was last ranked No. 1 in July of 2011. The Australian Open titlist Djokovics opponent in Saturdays semifinals will be fifth-seeded U.S. Open semifinalist Richard Gasquet. Fridays other quarters saw Gasquet upend third-seeded French Open runner-up David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4 and a fourth-seeded Berdych top eighth-seeded American John Isner 7-5, 6-2. The 2011 China Open champion Berdych was a runner-up in Bangkok last week. Ferrer was the 2010 Beijing runner-up to Djokovic. The 2013 China Open titlist will earn $557,100. wholesale nfl jerseys . After reports emerged on Tuesday that the Toronto FC midfielder would head to Vancouver on loan, the team confirmed on Wednesday that they had, in fact, traded for the Argentine designated player. wholesale jerseys ... thanks to every "buddy" that was involved.TAMPA, Fla. -- The Toronto Maple Leafs are tightening the race for second place in the Atlantic Division. Jonathan Bernier made 33 saves and the Maple Leafs beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 on Thursday night. The second-place Lightning have a one-point lead over Toronto and Montreal, which beat Vancouver 5-2. "The last week and a half (has been tough)," said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, whose team has lost four of five. "I dont mind where we are in the standings as of today. We kind of built a bulge in the standings, point-wise, and now weve lost some of it. But in saying that, I rather be where we are right now than where some other teams are." Mason Raymond, Jay McClement, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak scored for Toronto, which was coming of a 4-1 loss Tuesday night at Florida. "We needed a response from our effort the other night, and we got it tonight," Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "If you dont have goaltending, you dont have a starting point in the NHL. Were not any different than any other hockey club. The goaltender is your last line of defence, and our guys have given us a chance for a better part of this year." The Maple Leafs are 10-2-1 over their last 13 games. "We want to finish strong before the (Olympic) break with as many points as possible," Bernier said. Bernier had a number of strong saves early when Tampa Bay dominated the first half of the first period, and he made a glove save on J.T. Brown during the second. "It didnt look like we had it early, and once again Bernie was ready to play and kept us in it," McClement said. "Then we were able to get our legs." Ondrej Palat had the lone goal for Tampa Bay. Lightning goalie Ben Bishoop left after two periods with an upper-body injury and was replaced by Cedrick Desjardins, and centre Valtteri Filppula also left due to a lower-body injury. cheap jerseys. Desjardins is filling in for backup Anders Lindback, who is sidelined by a lower-body injury. Both Bishop and Filppula will be evaluated Friday. McClement made it 2-0 on an in-close backhander that eluded Desjardins at 2:19 of the third. After Desjardins make a glove save a couple of minutes later on Troy Bodies breakaway shot, the Maple Leafs turned an errant pass by the Lightning into a 3-0 advantage on van Riemsdyks point-blank goal at 8:10. Bozak added an empty-net goal with 2:52 to play. Palat ended Berniers shutout bid and cut Tampa Bays deficit to 3-1 at 10:28 of the third. There was a scrum between the teams with 1:42 remaining after a Toronto defender made contact with Brown, who ended up colliding with Bernier. Five players received penalties on the play. Raymond opened the scoring 7:57 into the second when he skated in alone from the left wing boards and lifted a backhander over Bishop. Bishop kept the Lightning within a goal when he stopped a shot during a breakaway by Bozak with 4 minutes left in the second. The Maple Leafs, despite allowing eight of the first nine shots, outshot Tampa Bay 12-9 during a scoreless first period. NOTES: Tampa Bay RW Martin St. Louis will replace injured Lightning C Steven Stamkos on Canadas Olympic hockey team. Doctors ruled out Stamkos because he hasnt recovered sufficiently from a broken right leg. ... St. Louis has gone eight games without a goal since he tied a team record with four goals against St. Jose on Jan. 18. He had an assist Thursday. ... Toronto C Nazem Kadri had his six-game points streak end. cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
