Novak Djokovic outlasts Tommy Haas to move to the semi-finals – Rogers Cup 2012
Top seed, Novak Djokovic, faced a stiff challenge from Germany’s Tommy Haas, before beating him in the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Friday.
Djokovic made a good star by winning the opener but Haas fought back to level the match score at one set apiece. However, it was the Serbian who drew the final blood, capturing it 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours and 33 minutes.
Ranked second in the world, Djokovic snatched a break in the fourth game and held his following serve to go up 4-1. The Serbian maintained his lead throughout the set, sealing it 6-3.
Djokovic’s serve performance was not up to the mark, as he hit only one ace and committed the same number of double fault, keeping his first delivery percentage at merely 39. Though, the 25-year-old captured seven of the 10 second
return points and utilised one of the two break opportunities he created in the opener.
The pattern of second set was exactly the same as first but this time things went in Haas’ favour. The German struck in the fourth game and capitalised on the lone break of serve to triumph 6-3.
Haas was also off colour on his serve, failing to smack any ace and making a couple of double faults in the second set. The German player kept his first serve percentage at 45 and converted 12 of the 19 of them into points. Though,
Haas was more consistent on his ground strokes, as he saved all the four break threats he came across and converted one of the two chances he received.
Proceedings in the final set were just like the opener, as Djokovic hit a blow to his German opponent in the fourth game and consolidated on it to attain a 4-1 advantage. The Serbian contender did not allow Haas to stage a comeback
and sealed it 6-3.
Djokovic will meet his compatriot, Janko Tipsarevic, in the semi-finals. Tipsarevic prevailed over the world number 27, Marcel Granollers of Spain, in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to book his place in the last-four stage of the draw.
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