Tennis: Roddick survives scare to reach Paris semis

PARIS - Top seed Andy Roddick saved two match points before overcoming Spaniard David Ferrer 2-6 6-3 7-6 to reach the Paris Masters semi-finals on Friday.

The world number three, who was hampered by a sore back, won the decisive tiebreak 10-8 with a service winner after two hours 12 minutes of spectacular tennis.

The powerful American recovered from a sluggish start to set up a clash with Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, who earlier extended his brilliant indoor run by moving past Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-6 3-6 6-1.

Czech Radek Stepanek, a losing finalist here last year as a qualifier, also reached the last four, ousting third seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 7-5 6-4.

Number eight seed Stepanek will face Argentine Gaston Gaudio or Czech Tomas Berdych for a place in Sunday's showpiece.

Number 10 seed Ferrer came very close to upsetting Roddick. The Spaniard served for the match, leading 5-4 in the third set, but his nerve failed him and he was broken.

The set went to a tiebreak with plenty of drama, Roddick wasting a match point before saving two, the first with an ace and the second with a superb cross-court forehand winner.

Roddick, chasing his sixth title this year, made a disastrous start, dropping serve straight away and again in the fifth game before netting a backhand to lose the first set in 40 minutes.

Twice towards the end of that set the American received treatment on his back for several minutes.

He recovered, breaking Ferrer with perfect timing to lead 5-3 in the second and serve for the set, which he won courtesy of an unforced error from his opponent.

Ljubicic, one of the strong players of the indoor season, struggled against Robredo before stepping up a gear in the final set.

"It was an extremely difficult match, both physically and mentally," said Ljubicic.

The win means the Croat, who captured titles in Metz and Vienna before reaching the Madrid Masters final last month, has boosted his chances of securing the last Masters Cup slot.

Seven players have already earned a ticket to the season finale from November 13 in Shanghai and Ljubicic is more than ever the favourite to complete the eight-strong field.

"I am very tired but the motivation is too big to stop now," said the Croat, who has not only the Masters Cup but also the Davis Cup final against Slovakia to look forward to.

The 26-year-old Stepanek, chasing his first title, showed signs of nerves against Davydenko when he served for the match leading 5-2 and was broken after a double fault.

Two games later, however, he earned three match points and saw Davydenko hit a return long on the first to bow out after 72 minutes.

"I love it here," said Stepanek. "It feels like home." Davydenko, who secured a Masters Cup slot by reaching the quarter-finals, was wearing bandages around both wrists and received treatment on his right forearm in the first set.

- REUTERS