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Jamie keeps the Murray flag flying in Japan

 

Paul Newman
Thursday 03 October 2013 23:35 BST
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Jamie Murray into doubles semi-finals at Japan Open with partner John Peers
Jamie Murray into doubles semi-finals at Japan Open with partner John Peers

Andy Murray may be missing from this week's Rakuten Japan Open following back surgery but the world No 3's brother is keeping the family name in the spotlight here. Jamie Murray and his doubles partner, John Peers of Australia, reached the semi-finals with an emphatic 7-5, 6-1 victory over Nicolas Almagro and Pablo Cuevas, who had beaten the Bryan brothers in the first round.

Murray and Peers, who now face Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer, are unbeaten in their first six matches on the Asia swing, having won the title in Bangkok last weekend. It was their third trophy since joining forces at the start of this year.

Another Briton, Dominic Inglot, is also through to the last four here. Inglot, who is currently at a career-high No 32 in the world doubles rankings, and his partner, Treat Huey of the Philippines, beat Spain's Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, the world's third highest ranked pair, 6-3, 6-3 to maintain their own fine record this year.

In the last two months Inglot and Huey have reached one final and made the last eight of the US Open. They now meet Rohan Bopanna and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Two more Britons, Colin Fleming and Jonny Marray, failed to reach the semi-finals of the China Open when they were beaten 6-4, 7-6 by Max Mirnyi and Horia Tecau in Beijing, where Novak Djokovic maintained his hopes of retaining the world No 1 singles ranking when he earned a quarter-final meeting with Sam Querrey by beating Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 2-6, 6-2. Rafael Nadal, who faces Fabio Fognini in the quarters, needs to reach the final to take the No 1 ranking.

Serena Williams also reached the quarter-finals in Beijing, beating Russia's Maria Kirilenko 7-5, 7-5. Williams broke back when Kirilenko had three set points at 5-4 in the first set. The world No 1 was also the first to drop serve in the second set but recovered to record her 70th victory of the year.

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