PARIS — Novak Djokovic saved set points in both sets to remain on course for his third straight Paris Masters title after beating fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6 (3), 7-6 (8) in a hard-fought quarter-final on Friday.
Chasing his 10th title of a brilliant season, the top-ranked Serb plays the winner of the last quarter-final between No. 4 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland and No. 7 Rafael Nadal of Spain.
Second-seeded Briton Andy Murray and No. 8 David Ferrer of Spain won earlier to set up a semifinal showdown.
With both players serving well, there were few opportunities for either player to pull ahead in the first set, although Berdych did miss a set point at 6-5 on Djokovic’s serve — his only break point of the set.
In the second-set tiebreaker, Djokovic moved 5-3 up in the tiebreaker only for Berdych to pull back to 6-5. But the Czech player wasted two more set points with over-hit forehands.
At 7-7, another wide forehand gave Djokovic his first match point but the Serb’s own forehand sailed long.
Berdych’s forehand let him down again on the next point, giving Djokovic a second match point. When his shot was called out, Djokovic challenged and the replay showed the ball had landed just in, meaning that the point was replayed. After a brief exchange, Berdych clipped a two-handed backhand into the net.
Earlier, Murray beat 10th-seeded Richard Gasquet of France 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3 to reach his first semifinal at the indoor tournament.
“The level during the first set was extremely good. After that it was a little bit up and down,” Murray said. “I just managed to hang in at the end.”
After recovering from a slow start, Gasquet pleased the crowd with spectacular one-handed backhands to level the match. He then broke in the third game of the deciding set but could not hold his next serve.
Murray, who has now achieved his best match record in a single season with a 67-11 mark, made the decisive break in the eighth game then served out the match at love.
Ferrer, the 2012 champion, beat 13th-seeded American John Isner 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-1 in a topsy-turvy match after failing to serve out the match at 5-3, 40-15 up in the second set.
Ferrer, who has won five titles this year, seemed to be racing to victory when he broke Isner in the eighth game of the second set. That gave him a chance to serve out the match, but from 40-15 his composure deserted him.
“I was waiting for him to make mistakes and he didn’t,” Ferrer said.
Isner forced a tiebreaker and it was an exciting one, with a huge ace from Isner whizzing just over the head of a spectator and giving him a 5-2 lead.
Ferrer fought back, returning Isner’s second serve into his feet for 5-5, then saving a set point with a forehand winner for 6-6.
But Isner unleashed a booming backhand winner down the line for a 7-6 edge, then sent down another huge serve which just clipped Ferrer’s racket to clinch the set, turning to clench his fist at a small group of fans just behind him.
Ferrer was given a warning from the chair umpire at the start of the third set when he yelled out in frustration after missing his fourth break point.
But he easily took Isner’s next service game, although the American was clearly struggling. At 0-40, he hunched over in pain, then took a medical timeout at the changeover.
“It wasn’t an injury, it might have looked like it,” Isner said. “My stomach was just cramping up, so was I some pain.”
He had earlier received massage treatment on his right arm after the first game of the first set.
Ferrer held easily for 3-1 and then broke again when Isner hit a big forehand wide.
