Associated Press

Dubai, February 25:

Top-ranked Roger Federer saved two match points to overcome former No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 in the second round of the Dubai Open on Thursday. In Friday’s quarter-finals, the two-time defending champion will play seventh-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, who beat Rainer Schuettler of Germany 7-5, 6-4.

Third-seeded Tim Henman downed Igor Andreev of Russia 7-6, 6-1, and will face Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, who battled past Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-7, 6-4, 7-6. For Federer, it was his third successive win in a third-set tiebreaker. Ferrero led 6-4 in third-set tiebreak. But he banged in a big serve to save match point, and Ferrero hit the next point long. He then closed out the match with a huge serve. Ferrero had Federer under pressure, breaking the Swiss in the first games of the first and second sets.

Qatar Open

DOHA:

Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo defeated Maria Kirilenko of Russia 6-2, 6-2 at the Qatar Open and remained on track to earn her third successive final this month. Mauresmo will face fourth-seeded Alicia Molik of Australia in semis, while Maria Sharapova will play Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. After losing the final in Paris then winning in Antwerp last weekend, Mauresmo has won 10 of 12 matches this year. Second-seeded Sharapova beat Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-2 to reach her third semi-finals in as many events this year. Sharapova’s second easy straight-sets win confirmed she was well past the bronchitis which forced her to withdraw before the Open Gaz de France this month. Molik survived a scare before beating Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, and Hantuchova downed Spanish Conchita Martinez 6-4, 6-1 in a quarter-final.

Mexican Open

ACAPULCO:

Argentina’s Agustin Calleri downed fourth-seeded Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-1 in a quarter-final clash between former Mexican Open champions. In the semis, Calleri will face Albert Montanes of Spain, who eliminated Italian Filippo Volandri 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Argentine Mariano Puerta continued his improbable run outlasting Felix Mantilla of Spain 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, a day after upsetting top-seeded Carlos Moya. Puerta will next face Spanish Rafael Nadal, who pulled away from Guillermo Canas of Argentina to advance with a 7-5, 6-3 victory. In women’s draw, Flavia Pennetta of Italy had little trouble with Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva, cruising to the quarters 6-3, 6-2. American Meghann Shaughnessy fell to Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. Antonella Serra Zanetti of Italy also reached the quarter-finals.