Djokovic survives a scare

SHANGHAI — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic hummed on the baseline to keep himself calm as he survived an almighty scare against 110th-ranked Mischa Zverev to reach the Shanghai Masters semifinals Friday. 
The defending champion, who has been struggling with motivation and injuries, lost the first set and was then taken to a second-set tie-break as tensions rose at the Qi Zhong Tennis Centre. 
But qualifier Zverev’s composure cracked as the 12-time Grand Slam-winner reeled off the first four points of the tie-break and raced through the deciding set to win 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. 
As Zverev became increasingly dispirited, Djokovic was a picture of calm as he hummed to himself during the deciding set to keep his mind off his mistakes. 
“Instead of the occasional tantrum that I used to have, I hope it’s behind me, so I would switch that vibration and transform it into a tune,” said the world No. 1. 
“I’m trying to remember, which one was it? It wasn’t any mantra. It was a famous song, actually. I was using it to just forget about my mistake, previous mistake. And it worked, I hope,” he smiled. 
Djokovic’s unusual tactic helped him avoid what would have been the most humiliating defeat of his season and maintained his record of reaching the semifinals in all seven visits to the tournament. 
It has been a troubled few months for the Serb, who said he had lost motivation and complained of “private issues” as he suffered shock early defeats at Wimbledon and the Olympics. 
Andy Murray kept the heat on Djokovic’s world No. 1 spot as he thrashed Belgium’s David Goffin 6-2, 6-2. In the semis, Murray will play Gilles Simon, who beat Jack Sock 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the day's last quarterfinal. In the semifinals Saturday, Djokovic will play Spain’s Roberto Bautista, who floored Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4 to send last year’s runner-up crashing out.
 Kerber knocked out Top seed Angelique Kerber suffered a shock defeat at the hands of eighth seed Australian Daria Gavrilova 6-3, 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open Friday. 
Gavrilova will now face Kristina Mladenovic of France in the semifinals.
Mladenovic earned her place after seeing off American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). 
The other semifinal will pitch fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki against seventh seed and defending champion Jelena Jankovic. 
Jankovic Friday beat Alize Cornet of France 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. Kuznetsova prevails World No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova survived a quarterfinal scare against lowly Naomi Osaka of Japan 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) at the Tianjin Open Friday, scraping through in a deciding set tiebreak. 
Her reward is a semifinal place against American Alison Riske who beat home player Han Xinyun 6-3, 6-3. 
Kuznetsova is now hot favorite for the title, after Polish top seed Agnieszka Radwanska withdrew from the tournament with a thigh injury after her quarterfinal Thursday. 
Her decision gave China’s Peng Shuai a walkover into Saturday’s semifinal, where she will face Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, who beat Puerto Rican fifth seed Monica Puig 6-4, 6-3. Keys in semis Madison Keys advanced to her fifth semifinal of the season by beating Oceane Dodin of France 6-3, 6-3 at the Generali Ladies in Linz Friday. 
The seventh-ranked American will play either top-seeded Garbine Muguruza or Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland for a place in Sunday's final. 
Fourth-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain also reached the semifinals after defeating Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Muguruza and defending champion Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova advanced to the quarterfinals Thursday. 
The French Open champion defeated Monica Niculescu of Romania 6-1, 6-1, while Pavlyuchenkova recovered from dropping 4-1 behind in the opening set to beat Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-4, 7-6 (2). 
Muguruza’s next opponent is Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, who defeated Julia Goerges of Germany 7-5, 6-4. Pavlyuchenkova next plays second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, who defeated Annika Beck of Germany 6-1, 6-3. 
Keys advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Misaki Doi of Japan 6-2, 6-0.