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Roundup: Serena, Djokovic reach Roland Garros semis

Xinhua, June 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have both entered the French Open semifinals at Roland Garros on Thursday.

On Court Philippe Chatrier, Djokovic, who' s the runner-up of the clay-court major for three times, made short effort of Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 to reach his eighth and sixth straight semifinal at Roland Garros.

The 29-year-old Serb overcame a five-minute rain delay and a third-set fightback from the seventh Czech to win in two hours and six minutes.

It has been Djokovic' s 30th Grand Slam semifinal, while only Roger Federer with 39 major semis and Jimmy Connors with 31 have participated in more in the Open era.

Also, the top seed' s last four appearance for six years in a row is something that even nine-time champion Rafael Nadal had never achieved.

Djokovic needs an ever first French Open trophy to complete a career Grand Slam. He will meet 22-year-old Austrian sensation Dominic Thiem who beat David Goffin 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-1 in a match between two quarterfinal debutants at Roland Garros.

Later on the central court, three-time champion Serena Williams came back from one set and a break point down to win over 60th-ranked Yulia Putintseva 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

The 34-year-old Amerian, who only earned a 4-5 record in her previous quarterfinals at Roland Garros, won eight games in a row from 4-4 in the second set before beating the Kazakh, just 21 years, despite 43 unforced errors.

With 21 major titles in hands, Serena next plays unseeded Kiki Bertens as the world No. 58 upset eighth-seeded Timea Bascinszky of Switzerland 7-5, 6-2 in another women' s semi played Thursday.

In mixed doubles semifinals, Swiss star Martina Hingis and her Asian partner Leander Paes ousted sixth seeded Andrea Hlavackova of Czech Republic and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.

The Swiss and Indian duo will vie for a major title against the second seeds Sania Mirza of India and Crotian Ivan Dodig after the latter rallied past third-seeded French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Endit