Ferrer stuns Djokovic

LONDON (AP):

David Ferrer's relentless hitting proved too much for Novak Djokovic yesterday, as the fifth-seeded Spaniard won 6-3, 6-1 to qualify for the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals.

Djokovic, the winner of three Grand Slams and 10 titles overall this season, lost for only the fifth time in 2011.

From 3-2 in the first set, the off-form Serb lost seven straight games. The top-ranked Djokovic made 33 unforced errors, exactly three times as many as Ferrer.

Djokovic can still advance to the semi-finals if he beats fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic tomorrow.

Tomas Berdych earlier saved a match point en route to a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over Tipsarevic to maintain his hopes of reaching the last four.

Berdych had lost his opening match against Djokovic despite holding a match point, but he turned the tables in yesterday's afternoon match when Tipsarevic put a difficult volley just wide when leading 6-5 in the deciding tiebreaker.

"I was a bit unlucky on Monday. I got luckier here," Berdych said. "So, you know, one-all."

Tipsarevic was a replacement in the tournament for the injured Murray, but though he said his knee was hurting after his fall, he didn't expect second alternate Nicolas Almagro to be called into action for tomorrow's match against Djokovic.

"We'll see what's going to happen when I cool off," Tipsarevic said. "But my feeling now is that I will be ready for practice tomorrow afternoon."