Thiem stuns Djokovic, sets date with Nadal in French Open semis

Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem upset defending champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the French Open, advancing to the semi-finals where he will face Rafael Nadal.

Nadal progressed after fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta retired upon injury on Wednesday.

Seeded sixth in the tournament, 23-year-old Thiem won 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-0 over Djokovic in two hours and 15 minutes.

Nadal won 6-2, 2-0 after Carreno Busta withdrew with abdominal pain, in 51 minutes, reports Efe. Nadal is bidding for his 10th French Open title.

Carreno Busta, a first-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist, complained of a pain in his lower abdomen and requested assistance from the physician during the first set.

The 25-year-old Spaniard finished the set by committing two consecutive double faults and after being taken care of on the court, left for a few minutes.

On his return his service was weakened, as it had been throughout the game and eventually he decided to retire after losing 0-2 in the second set. That helped Nadal to become the first player to enter the French Open semi-finals for the 10th time.

--IANS

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