Rafael Nadal crashed out of the ATP China Open quarterfinals, losing to 20th-ranked Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 2-6, 4-6 on Friday as Andy Murray entered his 11th semifinal of the season.
Murray beat Davis Cup teammate Kyle Edmund 7-6(9), 6-2. Fellow Briton Johanna Konta was also smashing dreams, as she crushed home favourite Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-0. Konta next faces American Madison Keys, who ended Petra Kvitova’s eight-match winning streak in an epic two-tiebreak victory, 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(5).
Keys, 21, made her top 10 debut this year and the big hitter -- who is often cast as a successor to 22-Grand Slam champion Serena Williams -- is also chasing her first qualification for the elite WTA Finals in Singapore.
With her quarter-final win she moves into seventh in the Race to Singapore leaderboard, but Konta is hot on her heels.
On the men’s side, Ferrer dispatched German youngster Alexander Zverev while Wimbledon runner up Milos Raonic saw off Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 6-4.
Zverev, 19, was looking to cap a breakout season with a strong Beijing run, but was unable to capitalise on his first set lead as he was overpowered by Ferrer 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5.
French second-seed Gael Monfils will face Australian Nick Kyrgios in the Japan Open semifinals, after he beat Croatian seventh-seed Ivo Karlovic Friday.
Fourth-seed Marin Cilic defeated Juan Monaco 7-5, 6-1 and is now pitted against Belgian fifth-seed David Goffin.
In Tokyo, Monfils pulled off a nail-biting 7-6(6), 7-6(6) win against Karlovic, with both men landing nine aces in their 91-minute contest.
Monfils, a runner-up at the Japan Open’s 2010 edition, is now set to play Kyrgios.
“I thought I played great today,” Kyrgios said.
“I served well, returned well and my engagement level was really good the whole time.”
Goffin came from behind to beat Joao Sousa 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in their quarterfinal match.
Keys beats Kvitova Madison Keys overpowered Petra Kvitova in the China Open quarterfinals on Friday in their first meet since the Czech denied the American a bronze medal in Rio.
It took two hours and 40 minutes, three sets and two tie-breaks for Keys to exact revenge over the double Wimbledon champion, 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(5). A double fault by Kvitova turned the first set in favour of Keys, but she pulled back in the second pushing it to a tie-break, which she won.
There was little between the pair in the final set, but Kvitova’s 32 unforced errors to Keys’ 25 ultimately cost the Czech a semifinal place — and ended her eight-match winning streak. “It was not easy. From the beginning of the match, I was feeling a little bit nervous, a little bit sleepy also,” Goffin said. I was struggling a little bit with my foot work. Then I started to play much better, more aggressive from the start of the second set,” he said.
“In the third set, I played my best tennis,” he said.
The results:At Tokyo: Japan Open: Men: Quarterfinals: David Goffin bt Joao Sousa 1-6, 7-5, 6-2; Marin Cilic bt Juan Monaco 7-5, 6-1; Nick Kyrgios bt Gilles Muller 6-4, 6-2; Gael Monfils bt Ivo Karlovic 7-6(6), 7-6(6).
At Beijing: China Open: Men: Quarterfinals: Andy Murray bt Kyle Edmund 7-6(9), 6-2; David Ferrer bt Alexander Zverev 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5; Grigor Dimitrov bt Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4. Second round: Pablo Carreno-Busta bt Richard Gasquet 5-7, 6-4, 6-1; Milos Raonic bt Malek Jaziri 6-3, 6-4; Rafael Nadal bt Adrian Mannarino 6-1, 7-6(6).
Women: Quarterfinal: Madison Keys bt Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(5); Johanna Konta bt Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-0. Third round: Yaroslava Shvedova bt Alize Cornet 6-2, 6-4; Johanna Konta bt Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2); Shuai Zhang bt Simona Halep 6-0, 6-3.
