Defending champion Novak Djokovic advanced to the Qatar Open semifinals by beating Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3 Thursday. Djokovic holds a 13-1 career record over the 38-year-old Stepanek, and has won their last 12 meetings. Djokovic took a 4-2 lead in the first set before Stepanek broke his serve when the second seed netted a backhand on a third break point in the game. Djokovic won the next two games, winning the set on an overhead smash to an open court. In the second set, Djokovic established a 3-1 lead and held on to the advantage. He will play Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the semifinals. Verdasco defeated sixth-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-2, 7-5. Top-seeded Andy Murray plays Nicolas Almagro of Spain in the first evening match, followed by third-seeded Tomas Berdych and fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Murray claimed his 26th consecutive victory Wednesday with a battling 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 win over Austria's Gerald Melzer. Almagro beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6). Berdych beat Czech compatriot Jiri Vesely 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 6-1, to set up an intriguing clash with Tsonga who blasted past Germany's Dustin Brown 6-1, 6-3 in less than an hour.
