DUBAI, Feb 26: Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic upset third seed Tim Henman 7-5 6-4 in a match disrupted by rain to reach the semi-finals of the Dubai Open on Friday.
Spanish fifth seed Tommy Robredo defeated Nicolas Kiefer 6-4 6-4 in the only other match to be completed and will meet Ljubicic next.
The quarter-finals involving world number one Roger Federer and fourth seed Andre Agassi were postponed until Saturday. The semi-finals will be played in the evening.
Henman and eighth-seeded Ljubicic had to come on court seven times before completing their match in six hours 45 minutes. At times they did not even get as far as re-starting play before having to come off court again.
Henman failed to win two break points at 2-2. He did well to fight off three break points as Ljubicic led 4-3 but wasted his good work after play re-started at 5-5 when he double-faulted and hit a tame forehand into the net to concede the first set.
Although Henman broke to lead 1-0 in the second set, Ljubicic forced a backhand error to level at 3-3 before breaking again for the match with a winning return.
Results
Tommy Robredo bt Nicolas Kiefer 6-4 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic bt Tim Henman 7-5 6-4
Sharapova, Molik in FINAL
DOHA: Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova swept past Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 6-2 6-4 on Friday to reach the final of the $600,000 Qatar Open.
The second-seeded Russian now meets Australia's Alicia Molik, who gained revenge for last week's Antwerp defeat by knocking out top seed Amelie Mauresmo of France 7-6 (13-11) 6-1.
Sharapova broke Hantuchova in the third and fifth games to take the first set.
It was a more even contest in the second until Sharapova broke serve in the ninth game to set up victory.
Fourth seed Molik came out firing on all cylinders after her match against Mauresmo was interrupted for five hours by persistent rain with the score 3-3 in the first set.
The tiebreak was intense with both players saving five set points before Mauresmo hit two successive returns into the net at 11-11.
Mauresmo committed a series of unforced errors in the second set and paid the price.
Quarterfinals results:
Amelie Mauresmo) bt Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-2; Maria Sharapova bt Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-2; Daniela Hantuchova bt Conchita Martinez) 6-4, 6-1; Alicia Molik bt Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/1)
Acapulco results
ACAPULCO (Mexico): Results on Friday in the Acapulco tennis tournament:
Men's singles semifinals: Albert Montanes bt Agustin Calleri 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 7-6 (7/4); Rafael Nadal bt Mariano Puerta (ARG) 6-4, 6-1
Women's singles quarterfinals: Dally Randriantefy bt Emilie Loit 6-3, 6-3; Flavia Pennetta bt Lilia Osterloh 3-6, 6-0, 6-1; Ludmila Cervanova bt Arantxa Parra Santoja 6-2, 6-3; Antonella Serra Zanetti bt Catalina Castano 7-6 (7/4), 6-4
Scottsdale results
RALEIGH (North Carolina): Quarterfinal results from the $380,000 Scottsdale Classic ATP tennis tournament in Arizona on Friday:
Vincent Spadea bt James Blake 7-6 (8-6) 6-1; Christophe Rochus bt Davide Sanguinetti 6-4 6-3; Mario Ancic bt Giovanni Lapentti 6-1 6-4; Wayne Arthurs bt Glenn Weiner 6-3 7-6 (7-3).-Agencies
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