Federer outlasts Djokovic; Murray tops Nadal in Rogers Cup semis

Tennis Betting Lines

08/14/2010 - Toronto ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roger Federer outlasted second-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic in three sets and will face defending champion Andy Murray in Sunday's final of the Rogers Cup, a $2.43 million ATP Masters event.

Murray beat top-seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 6-4 during the afternoon, and the third-seeded Federer bolted out to a big lead against Djokovic before surviving in 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 fashion.

Federer, who improved to 10-5 all-time against Djokovic, won 12 of the first 13 points of the night semifinal. He was up 2-0 in the second set, but Djokovic rallied and incredibly held serve during the pivotal seventh game that lasted nearly 15 minutes. He closed that game with an overhand smash at the net for a 4-3 lead and then broke serve the following game when the super Swiss hit a return long.

A forehand passing shot by Djokovic, the 2007 champion at this event, sent the match to a third set.

It looked as if Federer would breeze in the deciding set as he gained a 4-1 lead, but Djokovic ended up breaking serve on a great net approach shot to get within 4-3. He then held serve and both players exchanged holds for a 5-5 stalemate.

Federer saved three break points, during which time Djokovic slammed and broke his racket in frustration.

After going up 6-5, Federer closed the match when Djokovic hit a forehand into the net.

Federer, who had 11 aces during the match, goes after his 63rd career title and second this year when he faces the Scotsman Murray on Sunday. Federer, who has won titles in Canada in 2004 and '06 and lost to Djokovic in the 2007 finale, has lost six of the 11 lifetime meetings against Murray. However, Federer has won the last three matchups, including the championship match at this year's Australian Open in straight sets.

Murray, seeded fourth in this U.S. Open tuneup, was 3-8 lifetime against the world's No.1 ranked player coming into the afternoon match. The Scot was able to put those past disappointments behind him by winning 69-percent of his service games.

In the opening set, Murray broke Nadal's fourth service game to go up 5-3, then ripped three of his nine aces before pinpointing a huge forehand into the corner of the right baseline to win the set.

The first break in the second set came early on in a game featuring several long rallies. Murray once again got the upper hand for a 2-1 edge, but Nadal converted a break point three games later to make it 3-all.

Murray saved two break points on his next serve and went up 5-4 when Nadal hit a baseline shot into the net with the score 30-40. He lost only one point serving out the match, which lasted just one hour, 44 minutes.

Nadal, playing in his first tournament since winning his eighth career Grand Slam crown at Wimbledon, had titled here in 2005 and 2008.

Murray is trying to become the first player to win back-to-back titles in Canada since Andre Agassi in 1994-95.

The four semifinalists accounted for the last seven champions at this event.

Sunday's winner will collect $443,500.

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.