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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Mail Tribune garners 11 first-place wins at ONPA ... Judge rules Eagle Point district violated teachers' free-speech rights during 2012 strike ... Burglars steal $250,000 Brammo racing bike ... Mail Tribune garners 11 first-place wins at ONPA ... Judge rules Eagle Point district violated teachers' free-speech rights during 2012 strike ... Burglars steal $250,000 Brammo racing bike ... TENNIS Djokovic holds off Murray for 23rd China Open win Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Oct. 4, 2014 at 6:17 PM By The Associated Press Posted Oct. 4, 2014 at 6:17 PM » Social News BEIJING — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic reached his fifth China Open final and improved his spotless record at the tournament to 23-0 with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Andy Murray on Saturday. In the women's draw, Maria Sharapova overcame eight double-faults, including four as she served for the match, to defeat Ana Ivanovic 6-0, 6-4. She will take on Petra Kvitova in the final after the Czech player beat Samantha Stosur 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. It was Djokovic's third win over Murray this year and came just weeks after the Serb knocked him out of the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in a hard-fought, 3½-hour match. Saturday's semifinal didn't quite reach the same level of quality — the two combined for 43 unforced errors and only 26 winners — but Djokovic proved the steadier player at the key moments and saved four of five break points he faced in the second set. "It was a two-set victory today, but still it felt like I had to work hard to win the points," he said. He'll play third-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the final. Berdych won 6-4, 6-1 over Martin Klizan, the qualifier who upset Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Overall, Djokovic is on a 24-match winning streak in China, having also won the Shanghai Masters in 2012 and 2013. He has not lost in China since being beaten by Roger Federer in the semifinals in Shanghai in 2010. He said he feels he's playing consistent tennis again after an up-and-down summer that saw him win his seventh Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and marry his long-time girlfriend, Jelena Ristic, then lose early at Cincinnati and Toronto. "I just wasn't myself on the court. I wasn't really prepared emotionally to go back and compete again after Wimbledon and a very exhausting summer, everything that happened in my professional and private life," he said. "I'm glad that I'm back in the form that I would like to be in, especially in these courts where I still haven't lost ever since I played this tournament." On the women's side, Sharapova needed four match points — and a little luck — to close out her win over Ivanovic. With Sharapova serving for the match at 5-4, the two played a nerve-wracking, 10-minute game featuring four double-faults and several wasted match and break points. Ivanovic finally thought she got the break on her fourth chance when Sharapova's backhand went wide, but the Russian challenged the call and the ball was shown to have caught the line by a fraction. Sharapova hit an ace to set up her fourth match point and won it on an Ivanovic error. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Oct. 4, 2014 at 6:17 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501