DOHA: Defending champion Nikolay Davydenko of Russia Friday beat a visibly ailing Rafael Nadal of Spain to reach the final of the Qatar Open. Fourth-seeded Davydenko won 6-3, 6-2 in 84 minutes against an uncharacteristically slow and sluggish Nadal, who had a fever earlier this week. Two-time champion Roger Federer also reached the final by beating third-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-3, 7-6 (2) earlier Friday. Berdych vs. Wawrinka In Chennai, top seed Tomas Berdych and No. 3 Stanislas Wawrinka secured contrasting wins Friday to set up a semifinal clash in the $450,000 ATP Chennai Open. Berdych brushed aside Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-3, 6-3, while Wawrinka beat Robin Haase of the Netherlands 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. The second semifinal Saturday will feature sixth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia against Xavier Malisse of Belgium. Li beats Venus In Hong Kong, Venus Williams lost to China's Li Na 6-3, 7-6 (3) at the Hong Kong Classic exhibition tournament Friday to complete her only warmup event for the Australian Open with two losses, but the seven-time Grand Slam champion said the matches helped prepare her for the first major of the year. Also Friday, Maria Kirilenko of Russia beat Aravane Rezai of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and Melanie Oudin beat Hong Kong's Zhang Ling 6-3, 6-1. Belgium-US final In Perth, Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Britain's Laura Robson 6-4, 6-2 Friday to secure the win the United States needed to reach Saturday's Hopman Cup final. The US team of Mattek-Sands and John Isner will meet Belgium, which advanced after Serbia had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury to Ana Ivanovic. Isner lost to Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2 in the second singles match Friday. The US won the tie 2-1 when Britain forfeited the doubles. Earlier, Italy's No. 7-ranked Francesca Schiavone had to retire from her match against France's Kristina Mladenovic with a groin problem. France won the tie 3-0 when Nicolas Mahut beat Potito Starace 6-3, 7-6 (2) and Italy forfeited the doubles because of Schiavone's injury. Soderling, Stepanek thru In Brisbane, top-seeded Robin Soderling beat Australian qualifier Matt Ebden 6-3, 6-2 Friday to advance to the semifinals of the Brisbane International tennis tournament. The Swede will face Radek Stepanek, the 2009 Brisbane champion and last year's runner-up, in a Saturday semifinal. Stepanek beat Florian Mayer of Germany 6-3, 6-3 on Friday. Andy Roddick will face Kevin Anderson of South Africa in the other men's semifinal. Germany's Andrea Petkovic overpowered Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2 to reach the women's final. Petkovic will play Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the final after she beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6
