Top-seed Juan Martin Del Potro cruised into the semi-finals of the China Open in Beijing with a straight-sets victory over Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic.
The Argentinian world number four lost just four of his service points in the opening set and claimed two breaks to seal the first 6-3, before going on to whitewash his opponent in the second set despite having to save three break points in the opening game.
Del Potro secured his place at next month’s season-ending ATP Finals in London by reaching the third round in China and is now in his eighth semi-final of the year.
“I think I played well,” Del Potro told atpworldtour.com. “I have been training hard to play at this level.
“Today, everything worked good, starting from my serve, from my forehands and backhands. That is the game that I need to go far in this tournament.”
Del Potro will now face Italy’s Fabio Fognini in the semi-finals after the fourth seed eased past Marton Fucsovics of Hungary 6-4 6-4.
It was the 43rd win of the season for Fognini, which represents a career-best haul, and he is aiming to win his fourth ATP tour title of the year, having also finished as runner-up at the Shenzhen Open last week.
British number one Kyle Edmund also battled his way through to the semi-finals with a 6-3 7-6 (7/4) victory over Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic.
Edmund will face Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili after the Georgian saw off Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6-2 6-2.
At the Rakuten Open in Tokyo, second seed Kevin Anderson lost in straight sets to Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
Both players lost their serve once apiece in each set, with Gasquet claiming both tiebreaks in the 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/4) victory.
Home favourite Kei Nishikori is through to the last four with a 6-3 6-3 win over Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Third seed Nishikori, a beaten semi-finalist at the US Open last month, broke serve three times during the opening set and once during the second to seal a comfortable victory.
There was a shock result as Daniil Medvedev knocked out the sixth seed, Canadian Milos Raonic. The Russian did not concede a single break of serve as he clinched a 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 win.
Raonic’s compatriot Denis Shapovalov completed the semi-final line-up following his 6-4 6-7 (7/9) 6-4 victory over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
