Lendl Moves to Semifinals in Australia
Ivan Lendl, the world’s top-ranked player, outgunned Sweden’s unseeded Thomas Hogstedt 6-2, 6-2 tonight and advanced to the semifinals of the $492,500 Australian Indoor tennis championships.
Lendl, seeking his third Australian Indoor title, has not lost a set in the tourney.
He will face Niklas Kroon of Sweden in Saturday’s semifinals of the 32-player Grand Prix tournament.
Kroon staged a remarkable recovery and saved three match points in beating Mark Woodforde of Australia 0-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6).
In today’s other quarterfinals, Johan Anderson defeated Jason Stoltenberg 6-3, 6-3 in a battle of unseeded Australians, and Lars Wahlgren of Sweden upset No. 5 seed Slobodan Zivojinovic of Yugoslavia 6-3, 7-6 (7-2).
Lendl said he would need to be cautious against Kroon, who showed great grit in his long struggle with Woodforde.
“He has been playing well and winning close matches,” Lendl said. “I’ll need to play well.”
Lendl has played exceptionally well in his three matches in the tournament, losing only 12 games.
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