Swiss stars Stanislas Wawrinka and Roger Federer will contest their respective semifinal matches on Saturday. Wawrinka is going up against Grigor Dimitrov at Queen’s Club and Federer is facing Kei Nishikori in Halle.
Queen’s Club: (1) Stanislas Wawrinka vs. (4) Grigor Dimitrov
Wawrinka will be looking to extend his perfect head-to-head record against Dimitrov when the top-seeded Swiss takes the court at the Aegon Championships on Saturday. A 2011 Australian Open encounter went Wawrinka’s way 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 and he also prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 last year on the clay courts of Madrid.
Both men have enjoyed remarkably routine paths to the Queen’s Club semifinals. After receiving first-round byes, Wawrinka got a first-set retirement from Marcos Baghdatis in the last 32 and Dimitrov got a walkover from Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarterfinals. Wawrinka’s wins came via straight sets against Sam Querrey and Marinko Matosevic, while Dimitrov got past James Ward and Edouard Roger-Vasselin without dropping a set. The world No. 3 would likely have an edge in a slam over five sets, but Dimitrov has been thriving at smaller events and Wawrinka has never been a particularly daunting grass-court opponent.
Pick: Dimitrov in 3
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Halle: (4) Kei Nishikori vs. (2) Roger Federer
Federer will be looking to erase a rare head-to-head deficit when the second-seeded Swiss battles Nishikori in the semifinals of the Gerry Weber Open on Saturday. Nishikori owns a 2-1 edge over Federer, having won twice in a row–6-4, 1-6, 6-2 last year in Madrid and 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 earlier this season on the hard courts of Miami.
Favorites have been falling early and often at each event this week, and Federer had a scare of his own in his opener against Joao Sousa. Still, the 17-time Grand Slam champion improved to 44-5 lifetime in Halle with a three-set victory and he promptly got a walkover from Yen-Hsun Lu on Friday. At one of his best tournaments and on a surface that definitely favors him over Nishikori, Federer should be able to take care of business.
Pick: Federer in 2 losing 5-7 games
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Troll alert. A well known mischief maker has infiltrated this blog.
@ed 2:30am, Is this site only for nadal fans and all non-nadal comments are from trolls?
Of course not. I was referring to the ugliness of some comments that have started appearing that go beyond a difference of opinion and have a familiar ring to them.
Right said Ed. Trolls think insulting other posters are good debate in lieu of facts.
Sadfans.
Funny how, in their rush to insult other players, they forget that the same argument can be applied to their favourite!
Hawkeye. Why has your avatar disappeared?
Yes RITB the double standards and selective facts are the primary tools of the federazzi and their troll minions.
By George, it is a Glorious time to be a Rafan.
Ed, when I post from my mobile device, my avatar doesn’t appear. Can’t seem to rectify this and have given up.
I hate the RG crowd but I love the French football team, especially their cool button up jerseys………Très chic, très hip, très sexy!
Allez les Bleus!!!
I despise them to. We have a bigger club.