Djokovic cruises into China Open semis, Murray out

BEIJING: Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic easily booked his place in the semi-finals of the China Open on Friday, but his three main rivals including world number four Andy Murray were sent home.

On the women's side of the draw at the 6.6 million-dollar joint WTA/ATP event, newly crowned world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Russian second seed Vera Zvonareva and China's Li Na all moved into Saturday's semis.

Djokovic, the world number two, showed nerves of steel in his straight sets win over France's Gilles Simon, 6-3, 6-2, at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre in Beijing, saving all seven break points Simon had against him in the first set.

n the second set, the 23-year-old Serb -- playing his first ATP tournament since losing the US Open final to Rafael Nadal -- did not give Simon any openings, going up an early break and never looking back to notch the win.

In the semis, Djokovic will face American wild card John Isner, who upset Russian fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

On the other side of the bracket, Murray went out meekly to big-serving Croatian Ivan Ljubicic in little more than an hour, 6-3, 6-2.

Ljubicic booked a semi-final berth against Spain's David Ferrer, who upset Swedish third seed Robin Soderling, 6-2, 6-4.

In the women's draw, play went more according to plan, with Wozniacki -- basking in the glow of her new top WTA ranking -- fighting her way past former number one Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to reach the semis.

On Saturday, she will face Israel's Shahar Peer who defeated Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky in straight sets.

The 20-year-old Dane will dethrone American superstar Serena Williams when the WTA issues its new rankings on Monday.

Zvonareva blitzed French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 6-0, 6-2 in less than an hour to claim her spot in the semis, where she will meet local favourite Li, who defeated Latvian qualifier Anastasija Sevastova.

Both the WTA and ATP are hoping to use the China Open to make inroads in the vast Asian country, which they see as a strategic marketplace.