TORONTO, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Defending champion Novak
Djokovic and Frenchman Richard Gasquet advanced to the final of
the Toronto Masters after each secured routine victories under
threatening skies on Saturday.
Top-seeded Djokovic, seeking his third title in the event in
five years, booked his spot in Sunday's title showdown with a
6-4 6-1 win over fellow Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in a match that
started two hours late because of rain.
Djokovic had moved 3-2 ahead in the opening set of the
semi-final before rain, which has wreaked havoc on this week's
schedule and forced some players to play twice in one day,
forced the pair off the court.
When they returned about 90 minutes later, Djokovic was
never pressured, breaking Tipsarevic's serve three times and
holding serve throughout the one hour, 45 minute match.
Djokovic will go into Sunday's final with a 6-1 head-to-head
record against Gasquet and has won all four meetings since
losing to the Frenchman at the 2007 Tennis Masters Cup in China.
Gasquet, the tournament's 14th seed, beat a higher-ranked
opponent for the second time in three matches when he stunned
big-serving American eighth-seed John Isner 7-6 6-3.
The Frenchman, who beat fourth-seed Tomas Berdych in the
last 16 but needed three sets to eliminate American Mardy Fish
in the quarter-finals, was in solid form against Isner showed
little fear of his opponent's powerful serve.
The 21-year-old fired down four aces to Isner's five but
held his serve throughout the match and did not even allow the
American a glimpse of a break point as he won 87 percent of his
service points.
(Editing by John O'Brien)