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AFP
Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Second seed Grigor Dimitrov outlasted Serbia's Filip Krajinovic 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 to reach the Rotterdam Open quarter-finals on Thursday as Roger Federer waited to take another step closer to becoming the oldest world number one.
Dimitrov has now reached a second straight quarter-final in the Dutch city, advancing with 13 aces and saving all four break points he faced.
The Bulgarian will face Andrey Rublev on Friday after the 20-year-old Russian struggled for nearly two hours before finally seeing off Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).
Rublev, the world number 34, forced his Bosnian opponent to save 10 of 15 break points while he saved nine of 13.
Russian Daniil Medvedev joined his compatriot in the last eight by beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
The two-and-a-quarter-hour contest featured 13 aces from the loser and just four from the winner.
Thursday evening's highlight will feature Federer hoping to take the penultimate step towards regaining the number one ranking, becoming the oldest man by three years to own the honour.
The 36-year-old Swiss, with a record 20 Grand Slam titles, will face off against German Philipp Kohlschreiber, whom he has beaten in all of their previous 12 matches.
On Wednesday, Federer delivered a crushing 6-1, 6-2 defeat of Ruben Bemelmans in just 47 minutes to move just two wins away from becoming the sport's oldest world number one.
A two-time champion at the Dutch indoor event, Federer needs to reach the semi-finals to take back the number one spot from Rafael Nadal.
"It's very surprising how good things went today," Federer said."The key is to start well, put him under pressure.
"I wanted to make him think he had to do something special to beat me. I did well there, I felt good, I'm healthy and I'm confident. It was a great first round for me."
Isner shocked
Third-seeded John Isner was upset by Radu Albot of Moldova 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 on Wednesday night in the second round of the New York Open.
Isner hit 28 aces to Albot's one, but the 91st-ranked Albot came up with a third-set break and held on from there to knock out the American in a little more than 2 hours.
Isner, who had a first-round bye, has dropped his openers in all three tournaments he has played this season, including the Australian Open.
Albot will play No. 5 seed Kei Nishikori, who beat Russian Evgeny Donskoy 6-2, 6-4. The native of Japan, a four-time champion when this tournament was held in Memphis, is playing in his first ATP Tour event since August after recovering from a right wrist injury.
No. 4 seed Adrian Mannarino was leading Peter Gojowczyk 6-7 (5), 7-5, 4-1 when the German was forced to retire with an injury. Adrian Menendez-Maceiras of Spain beat France's Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 7-6 (5).
The Japanese fifth seed, who won his opening match in straight sets a day earlier, was in full control from the start and hit seven aces during the victory.
Nishikori broke Donskoy's service twice in the opening set to pull away and then earned another crucial break with the second set tied at 2-2.
The 28-year-old won 84 percent of his service points.
Sharapova, Keys pull out of Dubai tennis
In Dubai, former world number one Maria Sharapova and U.S. Open finalist Madison Keys have pulled out of next week's Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, the tournament organisers said on Thursday.
Five-times grand slam winner Sharapova, who had a accepted a wildcard to make her first appearance at the tournament since 2006, decided to withdraw citing a forearm strain.
Sharapova lost her opening round match at the Qatar Open on Monday to Romania's Monica Niculescu in three sets and is currently ranked 41 in the world.
The 30-year-old Russian has a 21-10 win-loss record since her return from a doping ban last April.
