The Latest: Djokovic wary of Murray’s improved form on clay

PARIS (AP) — The Latest from the French Open:

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8:35 p.m.

Novak Djokovic is wary of Andy Murray’s improved form on clay.

They meet in Friday’s French Open semifinals, with the top-ranked Djokovic leading the third-seeded Briton 18-8 in career matches.

But Murray has not lost on clay this season. The two titles he won, at the Madrid Masters and at Munich, are his first on the slow surface.

“He has improved on clay, no doubt about it. I watched him a little bit in Madrid,” Djokovic said. “Here he’s been playing some really good tennis. He’s moving better, serving very well, and he always had a (good) touch.”

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8:00 p.m.

Rafael Nadal is particularly frustrated at how poorly he played in the third set of his 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 loss to Novak Djokovic in their French Open quarterfinal.

Nadal’s second defeat in 72 matches at Roland Garros was a crushing one as Djokovic kept him pinned to the back of the court with his relentlessly precise shot-making, forcing 18 break points against the struggling Spaniard.

“Good fight in the first. Good fight in the second. In the third, I am not happy about the way (I played),” said Nadal, who lost on his 29th birthday. “The first break was very painful for me. After that, everything was too quick.”

At least Nadal has more time to prepare for the grass-court season now, with Wimbledon starting at the end of the month.

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7:37 p.m.

Andy Murray has reached the French Open semifinals for the second straight year and the third time in his career after beating David Ferrer 7-6 (4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

In defeating Ferrer for the third straight time, Murray improved his career record against the seventh-seeded Spaniard to 10-6.

Next up for the third-seeded Murray is an even tougher test: top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

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7:05 p.m.

David Ferrer remains in contention after winning the third set against Andy Murray in their French Open quarterfinal match.

The third-seeded Murray looked in dominant form on a sunbaked Suzanne Lenglen court, opening up a 7-6 (4), 6-2 lead, but Ferrer, who is seeded seventh, won the next set 7-5.

The winner plays Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, after the top-ranked Serb crushed nine-time champion Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

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6:20 p.m.

Novak Djokovic is having more trouble speaking in French than he is winning matches at the French Open.

The top-ranked Serb has yet to drop a set in five matches and easily beat nine-time champion Rafael Nadal 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the semifinals.

After each of his wins, Djokovic has been speaking to the Roland Garros crowd in French — and that, at least, is proving challenging for him.

“It’s the fifth time that I’m speaking French, and I can’t find my words,” Djokovic said on center court. “That’s enough. Thanks very much.”

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6:13 p.m.

Nine-time champion Rafael Nadal’s reign at the French Open is over, after losing 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 to top-ranked Novak Djokovic.

Nadal’s loss is only his second ever defeat in 72 matches at Roland Garros, the other coming in 2009 against big-serving Swede Robin Soderling in the fourth round.

Djokovic has won every Grand Slam except the French Open, and next plays either Andy Murray or David Ferrer in the semifinals.

Nadal was playing the match with No. 9 written on the back of his shoes — reflecting the amount of titles he’s won here — but he won’t be wearing No. 10 next year.

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5:40 p.m.

Coach Boris Becker is out of his seat and applauding as Novak Djokovic takes the second set 6-3 against nine-time champion Rafael Nadal.

Nadal, who saved five set points in the first set, saved another three in the second set.

But his rearguard action came to an end when the top-ranked Serb pinned him back with a deep forehand that forced an error.

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5:30 p.m.

Andy Murray and David Ferrer look like they are going to spend a lot of time on court in their French Open quarterfinal.

On court Suzanne Lenglen, Murray raced into a 6-1 lead in the tiebreak and sealed the first set 7-6 (4) on his fourth set point in 68 minutes.

That’s one minute longer than Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal spent on center court for their first set, won 7-5 by Djokovic.

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4:54 p.m.

Novak Djokovic has won a tight first set against nine-time champion Rafael Nadal 7-5 in their French Open quarterfinal.

After 67 minutes on center court in warm conditions, Djokovic finally clinched the set with a running cross-court forehand shot that forced an error from Nadal.

Djokovic would have been relieved, having led 4-0, and wasted five set points.

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4:03 p.m.

A final backhand winner down the line and Timea Bacsinszky makes it to her first semifinal at a Grand Slam tournament.

The 23rd-seeded Swiss player defeated Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium 6-4, 7-5 on Court Suzanne Lenglen to set up a semifinal match with top-ranked Serena Williams.

“It’s just incredible,” Bacsinszky said.

Bacsinszky becomes the first Swiss female player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Patty Schnyder at the 2004 Australian Open.

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3:23 p.m.

Top-ranked Serena Williams has reached the French Open semifinals after beating former finalist Sara Errani 6-1, 6-3.

Williams, who is seeking a 20th Grand Slam title, cruised through the first set in 27 minutes but the 17th-seeded Italian, who lost the final in 2012, tested her somewhat more in the second set.

Williams next plays either Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, who is seeded 23rd, or Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium, who is unseeded.

They are playing their quarterfinal on Suzanne Lenglen Court, with Bacsinszky taking the first set.

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2:20 p.m.

Celebrations on court No. 1 as Czech player Lucie Safarova reaches another semifinal, this time in doubles.

Playing alongside American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, she won 7-5, 6-2 against the top-seeded pair of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza.

Safarova is gunning for two trophies, and plays in the singles semis against Ana Ivanovic on Thursday.

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1:59 p.m.

Top-ranked Serena Williams looks in a relaxed mood as she prepares to face former finalist Sara Errani in the French Open quarterfinals.

As they prepare to come out, Williams is wearing headphones and jogging up and down on the spot, while Errani has good reason to look pensive.

Williams, seeking to win her 20th Grand Slam title, leads the Italian 8-0 in career matches, with five of those on clay.

Errani, the 2012 runner-up, lost 6-0, 6-1 to Williams in the semifinals here two years ago.

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