That’s all from Cincy
Djokovic will face of today’s quarter-final between qualifier Alexandr Dolopolov and No6 Tomas Berdych, which begins in roughly 10 minutes on the grandstand. Check back over the weekend for updates on Djokovic’s run for Masters history.
Novak is through
Djokovic, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Wawrinka, is now two wins away from becoming the first player to complete the set of ATP Masters 1000 titles. The difference today was unforced errors: Stan had 33 of them, more than twice Novak’s 16.
Djokovic too good today for Wawrinka, taking a little over an hour to reach the semi-finals. Stats: pic.twitter.com/h4bsHILmki
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) August 21, 2015
Also, the shoes. It must be the shoes.
Fancy footwear for #Djokovic on show in Cincinnati today pic.twitter.com/08MfrltEcc
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) August 21, 2015
Updated
Djokovic breaks, wins second set and match!
Second set: Djokovic 6-1 Wawrinka
We’ve just passed the hour mark as Wawrinka moves ahead 15-0 then 30-15 on his serve, but Djokovic knots it at 30-30 with a winner. WA awrinka winner gives him a game point, but a vicious Djokovic return winner brings it to deuce. Stan again moves within a point of the game on a Novak error, but yet another unforced error brings it back to deuce. The Djokovic hits a winner to set up match point, and when Stan pushes a backhand wide on the following point the match is over.
Second set: Djokovic 5-1 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic falls behind 0-15, but a powerfully struck forehand winner followed by a pair of Wawrinka unforced errors make it 40-15 in a hurry. Stan attempts that picturesque one-handed backhand from the baseline, but the brassy cross-court winner attempt sails long. Djokovic one game from the match.
Updated
Second set: *Djokovic 4-1 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
Quick and comfortable hold by Wawrinka – where have those been? – but he’s got a long way to go to find a foothold in this one.
Second set: Djokovic 4-0 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
An inspired start by Wawrinka, who wins two quick points on Djokovic’s serve. But the world No1 charges back to slam the door – thanks in no small part to a handful of Wawrinka errors – and moves within two games of the semi-final stage.
Djokovic breaks!
Second set: *Djokovic 3-0 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
Djokovic with a peek at Wawrinka’s serve after a winner on the opening point makes it 0-15. Stan responds with a pair of winners to make it 30-15, but hten he mixes in a few more errors and all of a sudden its deuce. A long, arduous baseline rally on the next point ends when Wawrinka nets a backhand and now he’ll face another break point. Another missed backhand long – he challenges it unsuccessfully – and now the world No5 is a double break down. This one looks done and dusted.
Second set: Djokovic 2-0 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic consolidates the early break with a hard-won hold, moving ahead 40-15 after getting the best of a breathtaking rally. Wawrinka fights back to deuce with a pair of winners, but Stan misfires on a backhand passing winner attempt and overcooks a return.
DJoker totally taking advantage of this dip in level from Stanimal
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) August 21, 2015
Updated
Djokovic breaks!
Second set: *Djokovic 1-0 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
Wawrinka with two quick points to open for the set, but a pair of unforced errors by Stan makes it 30-30. Djokovic earns a break-point chance when Wawrinka nets another forehand to make it 30-40, then scores the key break when he nets another on the following point. Nightmarish start for the Swiss. Djokovic has now won 16 of the last 21 points.
Djokovic wins first set!
First set: Djokovic 6-4 Wawrinka
Service winner by Djokovic, whose won 17 of 21 points on his serve thus far. A double fault makes it 15-15, but an adroit backhand volley winner moves him within two points of the first set. Excellent net play by Djokovic on the following point to earn two set points. Wawrinka saves the first, winning perhaps the best rally of the match so far with a running cross-court forehand winner from the baseline. But a Djokovic service winner on the next point gives him the set in a brisk 34 minutes. Wawrinka with twice as many unforced errors (14) as Djokovic (seven) in the opening frame.
#Djokovic takes the first set 6-4 v #Wawrinka. Check out the stats then join us for set two: http://t.co/qyER4IsKZ8 pic.twitter.com/cd0kOFsHwY
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) August 21, 2015
Updated
Djokovic breaks!
First set: *Djokovic 5-4 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
Loose service game by Wawrinka, seemingly out of nowhere, with three unforced errors including a double fault. He falls behind 0-30, then 15-40 to give Djokovic a pair of break-point chances. He needs only one, earning the first break of the match when Wawrinka pushes a groundstroke long. The world No1 will serve for the first set after the changeover.
First set: Djokovic 4-4 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic holds at love. Clinical. Both players serving lights out now after an inconsistent start from Stan.
First set: *Djokovic 3-4 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
A 72-second hold by Wawrinka, his most convincing service game yet. New balls next game. Jake Keith chimes in via Twitter:
@BryanAGraham Wonder if Wawrinka will still be distracted by the Kyrgios saga. If so, he will have no chance of beating Djoko
— Jake Keith (@jakekeith1) August 21, 2015
So far, so good.
Updated
First set: Djokovic 3-3 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
A sharp winner by Stan – Wawrinka’s eighth to Djokovic’s four so far – and the Swiss has a 0-15 lead on Djokovic’s serve. But the half-chance is snuffed out almost immediately as Djokovic rattles off four straight points, a rapid sequence of service winners and Wawrinka unforced errors, to hold comfortably.
First set: *Djokovic 2-3 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
Another comfortable hold as Wawrinka wins four of five points with a combination of power and variety off both wings. An inspired start for two men who always seem to demand the best from one another. Stan’s best service game so far.
First set: Djokovic 2-2 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
A dominant service game by Djokovic who rattles off three quick points, sprays a forehand wide, then takes the game when Wawrinka misses on an overhand smash. A 99-second hold.
First set: *Djokovic 1-2 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
At 30-15, a wonderfully constructed and executed point by Djokovic ends wtih a wicked backhand winner to make it 30-30. Both players hitting deep, penetrating groundstrokes to the baseline. Wawrinka moves within game point at 40-30, but nets a forehand on the next point for deuce and we’ve got the first pressure point of the match. Wawrinka ends a long rally with an exquisite one-handed backhand that Djokovic can only meekly return followed by a forehand winner to put him away and he’s got another game point, but a forehand error by Stan brings it back to deuce. Two quick winners and Wawrinka escaped with the hold.
First set: Djokovic 1-1 Wawrinka* (*denotes next server)
Djokovic wins the first point on his serve, but Wawrinka announces his intent with a sharp passing forehand winner to make it 15-15. Djokovic with another winner to move ahead 30-15, then Wawrinka nets a forehand to give Novak game point. A long rally on the next point followed by cross-court backhand winner by Wawrinka to make it 40-30, but a Djokovic service winner gives him the game. Some formidable shot-making so far on both sides.
First set: *Djokovic 0-1 Wawrinka (*denotes next server)
Wawrinka to serve. First point is a mid-length rally that Wawrinka ends with a winner, following it with a service winner. At 30-0, Djokovic pounces on Wawrinka’s second serve, but Stan takes it with a forehand approach winner for 40-0. Wawrinka tries a backhand winner down the line after Djokovic gets a good return back and misses it, but a service winner on the next point gives the Swiss a comfortable hold to open the match.
The players are on court
Wawrinka is out first in blue shirt and white shorts. Then Djokovic in white Uniqlo shirt, matching cap and grey shorts. Wawrinka wins the coin toss, elects to serve and after a quick photograph at the net the warm-ups are underway.
Newsy notes
Some news bites ahead of today’s match:
- Djokovic is the top seed here for the fourth time in five years, but has never previously won in Cincy. Should he win, he’ll become the first player to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 events in his career.
- The Serb has reached a career-high nine straight finals since falling in the Doha quarters in January.
- Only four players have beaten Djokovic in 2015: Karlovic (Doha quarters), Federer (Dubai final), Wawrinka (Roland Garros final) and Murray (Montreal final).
- Wawrinka won his second grand slam title in June at the French Open after breaking through for his first at last year’s Aussie Open. He defeated the No1 and No2 seeds en route to both.
- Wawrinka is also in the doubles quarter-finals this week with Leander Paes. The Swiss-Indo pair won match tie-breakers against Anderson/Chardy in the first round and Pospisil/Sock in the second.
Tale of the tape
Here are the vitals for today’s matchup.
Djokovic v Wawrinka
28 Age 30
22 May 1987 Birthdate 28 March 1985
1 ATP ranking 5
24-10 Cincinnati W-L 12-8
54-4 (31-3) 2015 W-L (on hard) 36-11 (18-5)
658-144 (421-84) Career W-L (on hard) 373-226 (190-120)
54 Career titles 10
6 Titles in 2015 3
Boris Becker Coach Magnus Norman
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the Lindner Family Tennis Center for today’s Cincinnati Masters quarter-final between top seed Novak Djokovic and No5 Stan Wawrinka. If past results are any indicator, we could be in for a special one. While Djokovic owns a 17-4 edge in the all-time head-to-head and at one point won 14 straight, they’ve split their last four meetings, including Wawrinka’s shock win the French Open final that prevented the world No1 from completing a career grand slam. More than anything this pairing has a well-documented history of knock-down, drag-out matches on record: five of their seven matches in grand slam or Davis Cup play have gone the five-set distance. More to come.
Bryan will be here shortly.
