A round-up of Saturday’s tennis action on the ATP and WTA Tours.
ATP Halle
Roger Federer, chasing a ninth title at the Halle grass court tournament, dispatched Russian Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) on Saturday to move into the final.
The world No 5, building up to an assault on an eighth Wimbledon title in July, will next face Alexander Zverev in the final after the German defeated Richard Gasquet in the other semi-final 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Federer, 35, has yet to drop a set in Halle, where he was playing his 13th consecutive semi-final.
ATP Queens
Fourth seed Marin Cilic dropped serve for the first time all week but recovered to stop Gilles Muller in the semi-finals of the Aegon Championships on Saturday, winning 6-3 5-7 6-4.
Neither player had surrendered serve en route to the last four so it was a surprise when Cilic broke left-hander Muller in the fifth game before wrapping up the opening set quickly.
Cilic failed to convert his opportunities in the second set, however, and one lapse of concentration at 5-6 blotted his copybook to allow Muller to snatch the second set.
It was nothing more than an inconvenience though as Croatian Cilic, also in doubles semi-final action later, broke in the seventh game of the decider and powered home to victory, sealing it with a second-serve ace on match point.
WTA Birmingham
Petra Kvitova’s comeback from a lengthy injury layoff gathered momentum on Saturday as she reached the Aegon Classic final in Birmingham after Lucie Safarova retired from their semi-final with a leg injury.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, playing in just her second tournament of the year, was 6-1 1-0 up at the Edgbaston Priory Club when her Czech compatriot pulled out.
Kvitova will face Australian Ashleigh Barty who upset Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 3-6 6-4 6-3 in the other semi.
* Agencies
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
