Rafael Nadal moved into the semifinals of the China Open Friday by beating Marat Safin 6-3, 6-1. Nadal outclassed the former top-ranked Russian almost from the start and remains on track to meet Novak Djokovic in Sunday's final. Djokovic defeated Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-3, 1-6, 6-1. Safin has said he will retire at the end of this season, and he thanked the fans in Beijing for their support after losing to Nadal. On Saturday, Nadal will face Marin Cilic of Croatia, who defeated Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic will next face Robin Soderling of Sweden, who beat Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 7-6 (3), 6-4. Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia became the first woman to qualify for the semifinals, beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-3, 6-3. Kuznetsova will next face Nadia Petrova of Russia, who defeated Peng Shuai of China 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2. Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland advanced by beating fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia 7-5, 6-3. She will meet either Marion Bartoli of France or Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the semifinals. Tsonga reaches Tokyo semis Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga survived a test to beat Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and advance to the Japan Open semifinals Friday. The world No. 7 ended the qualifier's resistance by pounding down his 19th ace of the match after a questionable line call had gifted him triple break point in the deciding set. Tsonga will play fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils next after the fourth seed battled past Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the late quarterfinal. “Luck is a part of the game,” Tsonga told reporters. Earlier, Russia's Mikhail Youzhny knocked out defending Tokyo champion Tomas Berdych with a 6-2, 7-6 victory. Youzhny faces former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt in Saturday's semifinals after the Australian pulverised Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 6-0 in the day's first match. Roger-Vasselin will want to forget his first ATP Tour quarterfinal in a hurry as the world No. 189 was blown off court in just 66 minutes by Hewitt. Mauresmo ends season Twice Grand Slam winner Amelie Mauresmo has put an end to her season and is considering calling it quits for good, the Frenchwoman said Thursday. “Since I came back from the US Open, I have been trying to practice but I did not find the desire to get back to competition,” the world No.2 20 said on her website. “I do not want to rush things,” added former world number one Mauresmo. “I still give myself some time before making a decision regarding the remainder of my career.”
