MADRID: Novak Djokovic joined Rafael Nadal in declaring he won’t play again on the new blue-clay court at the Madrid Open after losing 7-6 (2), 6-3 to Janko Tipsarevic in an all-Serb quarterfinal on Friday.
It was Tipsarevic’s second win in five matches against Djokovic, who last lost at this stage in November at the Paris Masters.
Nadal was beaten by Fernando Verdasco on Thursday. He later said he wouldn’t return unless the tournament reverts to red clay.
Djokovic said the same.
“I want to forget this week as soon as possible and move on to the real clay courts,” Djokovic said. “Here you can’t predict the ball bounce or movement.
“They can do whatever they want, but I won’t be here next year if this clay stays.”
While Djokovic had little trouble holding serve early on, Tipsarevic saved four break points to force the first-set tiebreaker. The seventh-seeded Tipsarevic broke the defending champion early in the second set, closing it out after Djokovic had saved three match points.
Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams will square off for the Madrid Open title after the current and former world number ones swept into the final with a minimum of fuss on Saturday.
Australian Open champion Azarenka took a step closer to a fifth title of 2012 when she dispatched Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-4, before Williams, seeded ninth at the premier event in the Spanish capital, crushed Czech qualifier Lucie Hradecka 7-6, 6-0.
Belarussian Azarenka has now beaten third-ranked Pole Radwanska six times in six meetings this year and rarely looked troubled as she seeks to improve on her runners-up finish last year to Petra Kvitova.
She battered 29 winners on the blue clay of the Manolo Santana show court, each accompanied by a trademark shriek of effort, before reflecting on her 6-1 losing record against Williams.
“I was much younger and just coming on the tour (for many of our matches) but I have always been competitive against her and she is one of the toughest opponents to play against,” Azarenka told a news conference.”It’s going to be a different story this time,” the 22-year-old, who was beaten 6-1, 7-6 by Williams in the U.S. Open third round last year, added.
Azarenka has already netted more than $4 million in prize money this year and her only two defeats in 36 matches were to Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in the last eight in Miami and Maria Sharapova of Russia in the Stuttgart final.
On a muggy morning in Madrid, a mere handful of spectators turned out to watch the match in the futuristic Caja Magica (Magic Box) arena.
However, with the sliding roof open to the dull grey sky, the stadium filled out for the second semi-final as Hradecka went toe-to-toe with Williams in a closely-fought first set when neither player managed a break of serve.
The 105th-ranked Czech was through to the last four of a premier-level event for the first time and her challenge fell away in the second set as Williams gave herself a chance of a second title of the season following her success at Charleston.
By reaching the final, the American 13-times grand slam singles champion, 30, is projected to climb to six in the rankings above Bartoli and Dane Caroline Wozniacki, another former number one.
Third seed Roger Federer eased past Spain’s David Ferrer 6-4, 6-4 to reach the Madrid Masters semifinals on Friday.
He will face Janko Tipsarevic, who knocked out world number one Novak Djokovic, for a place in Sunday’s final.
Federer was unwilling to get dragged into the controversy over the court conditions.
“If you want to be a good clay court player, you must be able to play everywhere,” said Federer.
“Madrid has taken a gamble with blue clay. It’s always a little different here because of the altitude and we must sit down with the other players to discuss it.
“It is slippy, there’s no doubt about that but that has been the case here for a few years. They haven’t yet found the perfect balance. Our job each day is to adapt to the conditions that we face.” Federer now stands 26-3 on the season, playing for the first time after a six-week break. (Agencies)