Apia Sydney International Day 3-4

Official Website Men's Singles Women's Singles Order of Play

Men's Singles Second Round

Del Potro Keeps Comeback Run, Upsets Fognini; Goffin, Cuevas Exit; Tomic in QF

apiainternational.com.au: January 14 2015 Sydney, Australia – Juan Martin del Potro powered his way into the quarterfinals at Apia International Sydney with an upset win over No.1 seed Fabio Fognini. In hot and windy conditions on Ken Rosewall Arena, del Potro wore down the world No.18 to win 4-6 6-2 6-2 in one hour and 48 minutes. The defending champion will next meet Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan, who earlier beat sixth seed Pablo Cuevas.

Bernard Tomic is through to the quarterfinals of Apia International Sydney 2015 after beating third-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets. The 22-year-old recorded a 6-3 6-4 victory in less than an hour. Tomic will now face Luxembourg left-hander Gilles Muller for a place in the last four. The Australian claimed he’s playing better now than he was 12 months ago and believes he needs to maintain his newfound aggressive approach if he wants to become a top-five player.

It was only the second time the world No.71 had faced Kohlschreiber, who’s been in and around the top 20 for the last five years, but it was the first time he’d beaten the 31-year-old. He did so with precision serving, baseline power and by immediately taking charge of points, forcing errors from the German’s racquet and rapidly moving through his service games.

Earlier on Wednesday, men’s No.2 seed David Goffin was upset in the second round, falling in straight sets to the in-form Simone Bolelli. Bolelli turned heads in the opening round with his comprehensive dismantling of Australian Marinko Matosevic, and continued in the same vein on Wednesday, winning 6-3 6-3 in just 66 minutes.

It was an impressive win given Goffin’s form coming into the event – the Belgian reached the semifinals last week in Chennai, and went a spectacular 44-4 in the second half of 2014, winning two ATP titles and four Challenger trophies. In the quarterfinals, the Italian Bolelli will face qualifier Viktor Troicki, who recovered from a set down to beat Spaniard Pablo Andujar.

Sydney Men's Singles Second Round Wed Jan 14

Juan Martin Del Potro beat 1-Fabio Fognini 4-6 6-2 6-2

Simone Bolelli beat 2-David Goffin 6-3 6-3

Bernard Tomic beat 3-Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 6-4

Gilles Muller beat 7-Jeremy Chardy 2-6 7-6(1) 6-4

Viktor Troicki beat Pablo Andujar 4-6 6-3 6-3

5-Leonardo Mayer beat Jerzy Janowicz 4-6 6-1 7-6(3)

4-Julien Benneteau beat Vasek Pospisil 7-6(3) 6-3

Mikhail Kukushkin beat 6-Pablo Cuevas 7-5 7-5

Women's Quarterfinals

Kvitova Ends Gajdosova Run; Pironkova Stops Strycova; Kerber Reaches Semifinal

apiainternational.com.au: January 14 2015 Sydney, Australia – Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has ended Jarmila Gajdosova’s spirited run to reach the semifinals of the Apia International Sydney. The resurgent Australian wildcard threatened a huge upset after taking the opening set before Kvitova fought back to squeeze out a tough 4-6 6-3 6-4 victory on Wednesday night.

Gajdosova had knocked out world No.13 Andrea Petkovic and then world No.11 Dominika Cibulkova, last year’s Australian Open runner-up, to surge into the quarterfinals.But with her match against Cibulkova finishing after midnight on Wednesday morning, Gajdosova began to tire as her epic battle with Kvitova passed the two-hour mark.

Despite the loss, Gajdosova can look forward to a nice rankings boost next week and will head into the Australian Open with renewed confidence that she can finally break her duck at Melbourne Park after nine first-round defeats at the season-opening Grand Slam. Kvitova next faces defending champion Tsvetana Pironkova on Thursday for a place in Friday night’s final, a repeat of their semifinal match here in Sydney last year which Pironkova won en route to the title.

Defending champion Pironkova picked up right where she left off on Ken Rosewall Arena this evening, beating Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in straight sets 6-4 6-1. The last time the Bulgarian stood on centre court at the Apia International Sydney she was hoisting the champion’s trophy, after becoming the first qualifier to win the coveted title.

As darkness fell, 2014 Sydney finalist Angelique Kerber took to Grandstand court under lights and won her third consecutive match after dropping the first set. This time the victory came over talented young Spaniard Garbine Muguruza; her 0-6 6-1 6-4 victory followed on from come-from behind victories over Lesia Tsurenko and Daria Gavrilova.

First set I was actually not on the court. It was tough for me to come in my rhythm because in the first set I was one, two steps too slow and I was feeling this,” Kerber said. In the semifinals she will face the surging Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6 6-4 6-0.

Sydney Women's Singles Quarterfinal Wednesday Jan 14

5-Angelique Kerber beat Garbine Muguruza Blanco 0-6 6-1 6-4

2-Petra Kvitova beat Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6 6-3 6-4

Tsvetana Pironkova beat Barbora Strycova 6-4 6-1

Karolina Pliskova beat Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6 6-4 6-0