ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Holder Tomas Berdych followed his game plan to the letter and reached his second consecutive final at the ATP Rotterdam World Tennis event Saturday with a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat of Gilles Simon. The rout, which took the Czech third seed into Sunday's final, lasted just 56 minutes. Berdych now meets the winner of the other semifinal between Switerland's Stan Wawrinka and Canadian second seed Milos Raonic. The Czech, now coached by Andy Murray cast-off Dani Vallverdu, said he and his Venezuelan coach have been concentrating on strategy. Berdych stayed in total control as he swept to his ninth straight Rotterdam victory, losing only one point on first serve. Hantuchova, Tomljanovic advance to final In Thailand, Daniela Hantuchova saved two match points to beat Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the Thailand Open semifinals Saturday. The 31-year-old Slovak is aiming to become the first player to win the tournament three times after victories in 2011 and 2012. Hantuchova faces Ajla Tomljanovic in Sunday's final after the Croat upset seventh-seeded Monica Puig of Puerto Rico 7-6 (4), 5-7, 7-6 (7) for her first career final. Puig was the only seeded player left in the tournament at Dusit Resort. Nishikori thru In Memphis, top seed Kei Nishikori kept his bid for a third straight ATP Memphis title alive Friday with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Austin Krajicek. The 25-year-old Japanese star, ranked fifth in the world, needed two hours and 10 minutes to subdue the American qualifier, ranked 156th. Nishikori, who saved eight of the 10 break points he faced, next faces American Sam Querrey, who toppled third-seeded compatriot John Isner 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2). Second-seeded South African Kevin Anderson also advanced, downing American Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-4. Anderson fired 16 aces and saved all three break points he faced in the 65-minute contest. He'll take on American Donald Young, who defeated Australian Bernard Tomic 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 7-5 to reach the semifinals. Petkovic and Navarro advance In Belgium, third-seeded Andrea Petkovic of Germany advanced to the Diamond Games semifinals Friday after beating sixth-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 7-6 (2), 6-0 in a scrappy match featuring 11 breaks of serve. Petkovic next faces Czech player Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who broke German player Mona Barthel's serve five times in a 6-2, 6-2 win. Neither player managed an ace. Earlier, fifth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain and eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic won their matches to set up a semifinal meeting. Suarez Navarro saved 10 break points in a 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal win against former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, who dropped her serve five times. Pliskova defeated fourth-seeded countrywoman Lucie Safarova 7-6 (5), 6-3. — Agencies
