The former world No 1 produced three birdies at the front nine before adding three more at the back for the day’s low score.

“I think most important thing today is like, I felt I’m really too far behind the lead,” said Ariya to herself before heading into Round 3. I feel like I can’t catch anyway, so what I want to do is just be patient, do my best every shot.”

Ariya is still looking for her first win this season but the secret to fighting the windy conditions at Ko Olina was having more confidence in her club selection.

“Today I feel like I trusted my decisions more, because it’s pretty windy and there were a lot of thing going on. Last few day, especially yesterday when it’s windy, I’m feel like I’m not really trust the shot I pick,” the Thai added. “Today I feel like, you know what? I’m just going to do every shot my best and trust my decision.”

Brooke Henderson started the day two shots off the lead but shot a 3-under-par 67 to tie for the lead with Nelly Korda, who shot a 1-under 71 on Friday at the 2019 LOTTE Championship. This is Henderson’s seventh start where she has held the lead or a share of the lead after 54 holes; she has gone on to win four of those events when she’s held the top spot going into the final round, including her win at last year’s LOTTE Championship.

Minjee Lee headed into the third round four shots behind the lead but her third-round 2-under 70 now puts her in third place with Republic of Korea’s Eun-hee Ji, who fell from the top spot after shooting a 2-over-par 72 but still finds herself in contention.

Ariya Jutanugarn produced a stellar round and carded a bogey-free 6-under 66; she is currently two strokes back in solo fifth place.

BROOKE HENDERSON LOOKING FORWARD TO FINAL ROUND  

Defending champion Brooke Henderson, carded six birdies and bookend bogeys on No. 2 and No. 18 for her third-round 69 to finish with a one stroke advantage over the field. This is a familiar position for the seven-time LPGA champion, who also held the lead going into the final round at last year’s event—but this year, she enters the final round going head-to-head with Nelly Korda, who’s already won on Tour this season.

“It was really windy today. Really had to stay patient,” said Henderson who started the day four shots behind the lead. “I kind of fought through my front nine a little bit. Bogeyed the second hole I guess, but made a birdie on 5. Hitting good shots; just not really making birdies.”

If Henderson goes on to win tomorrow, that would be the second time she successfully defended her title—she was the 2015 and 2016 champion of the Cambia Portland Classic. If she claims her eighth career victory at Ko Olina tomorrow, she would also tie the record for most victories on the LPGA or PGA Tour by a Canadian, joining Sandra Post, Mike Weir and George Knudson.

“The back nine I made a lot of birdies, which was a lot of fun. Couple saves for par, too. Would’ve been nice to finish 18 with a par, but I’m excited to have moved up a little bit today. Just looking forward to tomorrow.”

NELLY KORDA NOT A HAPPY CAMPER

“Was a bit of a frustrating day on the front nine. Was not hitting it well. I was not putting well at all. Kind of got it back on the back nine,” said Korda after turning in a 71 on Friday. She started the day with a birdie on her first hole with two bogeys on the front nine, came back with birdies on alternating hole on Nos. 12-16 but ended the day with a bogey on the 18th. “Yeah, it was pretty frustrating today. Wasn’t the happiest camper out there.”

Korda is looking for her second win on the LPGA Tour in 2019, she won the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open earlier this season, where she also was in the lead position heading into the final round.

“I’m happy to be in that spot. Brooke is play well. Everyone is playing well out here. It’s going to be hard, so I am just going to take it shot by shot. We’re all going to be fighting really hard for it,” said Korda.

MINJEE LEE CARDS BOGEY-FREE ROUND WITH A SINGLE EAGLE

“It was pretty steady. I mean, I didn’t really make any birdies. I just made one eagle, chip-in eagle,” said Minjee Lee after turning in a bogey-free scorecard on Friday. She chipped in for eagle on the par-5 fifth and placed herself well within contention going into the final round.

“Yeah, that was awesome,” said Lee of her eagle. “I mean, it was pretty hard out there. The wind was really gusty and the pin placements were pretty hard for the wind direction we had.”

Windy conditions on the island are to be expected by the players, but nevertheless make club selection a challenge on every hole.

“I think, a few I hit it too long, like I clubbed too much,” said Lee who hit five of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in Round 3. “Yeah, maybe tomorrow I can adjust and hopefully improve on that.”

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp — Guardiola’s closest challenger for the Premier League title — have both advanced to the semi-finals of Europe’s leading club competition.

But, unlike Guardiola, that duo have placed far less emphasis on the domestic cup competitions, fielding weakened sides in the early rounds of the League Cup and FA Cup.

By contrast Guardiola, in contrast, has always fielded full, or near-full, strength teams, leaving him open to accusations fatigue is hampering his team in the season’s closing stages.

Nevertheless the City manager, who won the League Cup against Chelsea and faces an FA Cup final date with Watford next month, is adamant he would never deliberately attempt to be knocked out of a competition.

“I don’t understand in my profession, it is not to say I don’t want to win, I don’t understand that,” said Guardiola.

“If I lose it’s because the opponent beat me or beat us. I’m not going to drop any competitions because maybe in the future it will be better.”

– ‘Never get perfection’ –

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss whose City side, thanks to a quirk of the fixture list next play Tottenham again in the Premier League on Saturday, added: “Who knows what’s going to happen in the future? The present is this game and I will try.

“I will dream next season of fighting for the four titles, that’s my dream.”

Despite the traumatic nature of the aggregate reverse on away goals against Spurs, City are still just six wins — five in the league and the FA Cup Final — away from becoming the first English team ever to win a domestic treble

Rather than forget the disappointment of midweek, the City manager hopes the memory of that painful loss will inspire his side, although the Catalan boss accepted he could not be sure of his star-studded team’s reaction.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Before the game you don’t know how you will play, you never know how you’ll react, we were out other times, and we reacted well.

“Perfection you never get, never, but you have to try to achieve it. Perfection would be 4-0, it was 4-3, or 7-0,” Guardiola explained. “We create chances to score seven. So perfection never exists, but you have to try.”

Just like City’s Champions League exit two years ago, when they scored five times in the home leg with Monaco only to go out on away goals, Guardiola’s disappointment was amplified by the fact they scored four times against Spurs on Wednesday in a losing effort.

“We have to improve the defensive department in this stage of the competition, and be more solid but in general we want to improve,” he said.

“But the way we play, we’ve scored 154 goals, but the way we play with a good game for everyone here and around the world we’re not going to change.”

Djokovic, twice a champion in the principality, lost serve five times in a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 defeat by Russia’s 10th seed Medvedev.

Nadal, an 11-time winner of the event, rallied from 4-1 down in the opening set before finally overhauling Argentina’s Guido Pella 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.

The Spaniard will face off in Saturday’s semi-finals against Italian Fabio Fognini, who came back to beat Croatia’s ninth seed Borna Coric 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Nadal stands 11-3 in the series, having won their last six matches.

For Djokovic, who won a record seventh Australian Open title in January, defeat marked another premature exit after he crashed out in the early rounds at Indian Wells and Miami last month.

The Serb, who has won the last three Grand Slam events and could conclude a personal sweep with another title at Roland Garros in June, feels that all he needs is more court time and some extra polish.

“The French Open is the ultimate goal on clay. It’s expected in a way for me to peak right at that tournament, because that’s what I’m aiming for,” Djokovic said.

“This is only the first tournament on clay, and it’s a long season. Let’s see how it goes.

“Maybe I’m lacking the consistency with the top results in the last couple of years in the best tournaments.

“But I’ve been playing my best at Grand Slams and that’s what I intend to do.”

Djokovic was broken three times in the final set, clawing one back but exiting when Medvedev drove a backhand into the far corner on match point.

Nadal toiled away for two hours, 20 minutes to win for the 71st time in 75 matches at the tournament.

– ‘Lucky to escape’ –

“It was a very tough match,” Nadal said. “Luckily I was able to come back (from 4-1 down) in the first set. If he had gone 5-1 it may have been almost impossible.

“It was a physically and mentally draining set, especially losing my first three service games.

“I was lucky to escape, I’m happy to be through.”

The first set featured eight breaks of serve before Nadal won it in a tiebreaker.

He served for the match leading 5-2 in the second only to drop serve again, but recovered to take the win as Pella double-faulted.

“Reaching the semi-final again means a lot to me, I hope this win will help me.”

Medvedev welcomed his defeat of Djokovic after losing in each of his three previous encounters with the Serb.

“This was the best match of my career, maybe not in the level of tennis but in beating the number one for the first time in my life,” he said. “It’s just amazing.”

Medvedev will meet another Serb, Dusan Lajovic, on Saturday for a place in the final after the latter beat Italian qualifier Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 7-5.

Medvedev totalled less than half of the 47 unforced errors which came off the Djokovic racquet in a three-set tussle in windy conditions.

“Novak played worse here than the times before,” Medvedev said. “But I’m also getting more experience.

“I’m making the top guys realise it’s not easy to play me.”

The 29-year-old Kiradech, the highest-ranked Thai in 41st place on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), will headline a cosmopolitan field of 144 players from over 20 countries at the highly-rated Empire Golf and Country Club from April 24 to 27 (Wednesday to Saturday).

The popular event, which offers an increased prize purse of US$75,000 this year, will feature more than 26 ADT champions including Argentina’s Miguel Carballo, Japan’s Kazuki Higa, American Sam Gillis and Wang Wei-lun of Chinese Taipei.

Kiradech, the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, underlined his star credentials when he dominated a talented field at the inaugural edition last year, completing a wire-to-wire victory to win by six shots.

“Winning last year was huge for me, it gave me a boost in confidence before I went back to play in the United States. I treat every tournament the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or small event,” said Kiradech.

Kiradech’s victory in Brunei, which marked his third title on the ADT, came a week after he finished tied-fifth at the 2018 World Golf Championships – Mexico Championship. He would go on to cap another top-five finish two weeks later at the WGC- Dell Technologies Match Play.

The big-hitting Thai then wrote a slice of history by becoming the first Thai golfer to earn playing rights on the PGA TOUR for the 2018/2019 season, thanks to his noteworthy performances which also include a tied-13th place finish at the Memorial Tournament, a tied-30th result at THE PLAYERS Championship and a 15th place finish at the U.S. Open.

Kiradech, a three-time Asian Tour winner and four-time European Tour champion, enjoyed a tied-49th place finish when he made his third appearance at The Masters tournament last week.

“From playing the Masters, one of the biggest events in the world, to playing on the ADT, it feels the same to me as I still try and win every single time I tee up for an event.

“I am excited to be going back to Brunei to defend my title. My good friend Prom (Meesawat) is also playing in the event and I know he won’t make it easy for me,” added Kiradech.

ADT Order of Merit champion Itthipat Buranatanyarat, who won the season-opener on home soil earlier in January, is ready for another shot at the event, where he played alongside Kiradech in the final round last year before settling for a third-place result.

“I was honoured to have the opportunity to play with Kiradech in the final round last year. Watching him play helped me realised what I needed to work on if I want to be the best. I have been working hard on my weaknesses since then,” said Itthipat, who ended a three-year title drought when he won his third ADT title three months ago.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive at least six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

The May 10 fight night sees Thailand play host to a showcase of the best martial arts warriors – muay thai fighters and kickboxers – from around the world.

Nong-O will defend his bantamweight (65.8kg) title against Hiroaki Suzuki of Japan while Petchdam will face Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi of Algeria for the inaugural ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship.

Multiple world champion Nong-O captured the One title by unanimous decision against China’s Han Zi Hao here in February. He is now set to make the first defence against the dangerous Japanese fighter.

Striker Suzuki is one of the most exciting talents in One Super Series. He burst onto the scene with a devastating performance against Deividas Danyla last November, then followed up with another scintillating showing against Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud last January.

In the co-main event of the evening, Thailand’s Petchdam will attempt to make history by becoming the One Championship’s first flyweight (61.2kg) kickboxing world champion when he takes on opponent Mahmoudi.

Petchdam is a multiple muay thai world champion known for his devastating left kick, which is responsible for the majority of his wins. He trains out of the famed Petchyindee Academy in Bangkok alongside fellow muay thai world champions including Petchmorakot Sanprapai.

Six Thais will be in action in the ninth round of the One Championship this year, with 12 bouts on the card.

Muay thai superstar Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is another local hope featuring in the event. After beating Hakim Hamech of France in the One Super Series flyweight in Tokyo last month, Roadtang returns to showcase his fearsome striking skills against Sok Thy, Cambodia’s national kickboxing champion.

Local hero Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit is the fourth Thai on the card, fighting Robin “The Ilonggo” Catalan of the Philippines, winner of Philippines National Wushu Sanda Championship in 2007 and 2008, and the IFMA Muay Thai World Championship in 2011.

Two-time Lumpinee Stadium champion and superstar Superlek Kiatmoo9 will face WKA European Champion Rui Botelho of Portugal.

The last Thai fighter in the tournament is Lumpinee Stadium world champ Singtongnoi Por Telakun, who takes on WMC Muay Thai World Champion Savvas Michael of Cyprus.

Main Event

ONE Super Series Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao (C) vs Hiroaki Suzuki

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg

Co-Main Event

ONE Super Series Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship

Petchdam Petchyindee Academy vs Elias Mahmoudi

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 61.2kg

Kazuki Tokudome vs Adrian Pang

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg

Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs Sok Thy

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg

Kota Shimoishi vs Pieter Bruist

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg

Shoko Sato vs Mark Fairtex Abelardo

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Pongsiri Mitsatit vs Robin Catalan

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg

Hexigetu vs Ovais Shah

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg

Zhang Chenglong vs Panicos Yusuf

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 65.8kg

Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs Rui Botelho

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg

Singtongnoi Por Telakun vs Savvas Michael

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg

Janet Todd vs Chin Long Wang

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 52.2kg

Starting the round with a three-shot deficit, the 21-year-old Japanese underlined his intentions of a breakthrough on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) with his flawless round highlighted by eight birdies at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) event.

He leads with a three-day total of 13-under-par 203 over American Sam Gillis (67) who trails by one shot in second place. Thailand’s Suttijet Kooratanapisan and American Trevor Simsby share the third spot with matching 67s.

Malaysian duo Amir Nazrin and Danny Chia both carded 66 to stay three shots off the pace in tied-fifth at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.

Sekito, who hails from Hiroshima, Japan, attributed his low round to a change he made in his putting grip that led him to navigate around the greens in 28 putts.

“I was putting very well today which was different from the last two rounds. After my game yesterday I decided to switch back to a normal grip, which I haven’t used in three years. But it worked out well today and I was rolling the ball better,” said Sekito.

Relishing the opportunity to play in the final group in only his second ADT event this season, the young Japanese will have his eyes set on making his mark on the region’s secondary circuit.

“I won a state event on my local circuit last month and I came into this week full of confidence. I am very excited for tomorrow and to play in the last group and I hope to get a first win on the ADT,” added Sekito, who enjoyed a joint runner-up result last month in Malaysia.

Starting from hole 10, Amir stayed bogey-free in his opening 10 holes, notching birdies on holes 11, 13, 16 and 18 before dropping his first shot on hole two.

He bounced back with birdies on three, four and six before dropping another shot on hole eight, but would recover right after with a birdie on his final hole.

“My round was amazing. I worked on my putting after my round yesterday and it paid off because I was making a lot of putts today. I ended my round with a great birdie putt from 25 feet which was a nice way to finish.

“I like where I am right now on the leaderboard and I hope to continue the momentum and play my own game tomorrow,” added Amir, who is also chasing for a maiden ADT victory.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Leading third round scores:

203 – Naoki Sekito 70 69 64

204 – Sam Gillis 70 67 67

205 – Suttijet Kooratanapisan 70 68 67, Trevor Simsby 67 71 67

206 – Amir Nazrin 65 75 66, Danny Chia 70 70 66, Poom Pattaropong 68 68 70

207 – Joohyung Kim 72 70 65

“Yeah, it was completely different to yesterday. I actually experienced Hawaii weather today,” said Korda of the wind gusts blowing 20-22 miles per hour in the second round. “It was tough. I didn’t hit every shot perfect. I had a couple bogeys. But I ended up playing pretty solid today.”

A pair of LPGA Tour champions sit four strokes behind second-round leader Ji, defending champion Brooke Henderson shot a 4-under 68 and Minjee Lee shot a 6-under 66 and are currently tied for third at -11. Players in the top three broke the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record of 134, most recently set by Henderson last year.

EUN-HEE JI FINISHES STRONG AFTER MAKING AN EAGLE

This week is Eun-Hee Ji’s eighth start of the LOTTE Championship but today, the 32-year-old LPGA champion utilized her experience and confidence from her early season win at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America to navigate around Ko Olina on Wednesday.

“Yeah, little more, little more wind, so I had to play for the wind on a couple holes,” said second-round leader Ji. “Some holes that makes a little bit easier because downwind and I got shorter clubs in, so that makes a little bit easier for me.”

Ji went out in 35, making two birdies and a bogey on the 18th but made the turn and started make a surge. She chipped in for eagle on the par-5 1st from 40 yards, followed up with a birdie on No. 2, No. 5, back-to-back birdies on No. 7 and 8 for the day’s low round of 65.

“Oh, that makes a lot of difference in my mind,” said Ji of her mid-round eagle. “I didn’t hit it too bad on No. 18, but I left my first putt really short and just missed the second putt. So I just kept focusing on it and I just wanted to hit an eagle. Makes a lot of difference for me.”

NELLY KORDA SHOOTS 4-UNDER IN WINDY CONDITIONS

“Played pretty solid all day. Made a few bogeys, but my caddie and I really made sure to not rush and take our time and really check the wind and make our decisions properly,” said Nelly Korda after shooting a second round 4-under 68 on Wednesday. Korda, went out in 35 and came back in 33, making three consecutive birdies on Nos. 5 through 7, a bogey on No. 8 and completed the round with a birdie on her last hole, No. 9.

“Well, first one was the par-5. I hit my 5-iron just right side of the green; chipped up; tap-in for birdie. Then hit a really good wedge shot into the next hole and then the next hole — I think it was 6 — yes, 6, I hooked my drive almost into OB and I had a clear shot through the trees and I hit a 9-iron, controlled nine, and got it to about like 12 feet and made it,” said Korda.

BROOKE HENDERSON TIED FOR THIRD IN TITLE DEFENSE AT KO OLINA

Defending champion Brooke Henderson turned in a 4-under 68 in Round 2 of the LOTTE Championship to stay tied for third with Australia’s Minjee Lee. The players in the top three all bested the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record, previously 134 and most recently set by Henderson. Today, that record now stands at 129.

“The wind was a lot stronger than it was yesterday right off the bat even early this morning. Took a little bit of adjusting to it,” said Henderson who managed to bounce back after a bogey on the par-4 3rd with two birdies on Nos. 5 and 7. “Got a couple breaks and was hitting the ball in pretty good places, giving myself some birdie looks. It was nice to make a few putts, especially the two par-3s on the back.”

The 21-year-old is gaining momentum in her campaign to defend her title at Ko Olina, looking for her first win of the season in 2019.

“The leaderboard is pretty dense right now and there is a lot of talented players. It’s halfway through the event,” said Henderson. “Just keep doing what I’m doing and make a lot of birdies and see what happens.”

ANOTHER STRONG START FOR AZAHARA MUNOZ

Ko Olina Golf Club suits Spain’s Azahara Munoz game considering her track record. Two of her six LOTTE Championship finishes were runner-up, in 2012 and in 2018. Munoz made a valiant attempt on Thursday to place herself in contention with a second-round 66 to -10 total, just five strokes behind first-round leader Eun-hee Ji.

“I really like this golf course. The fact that it’s windy but the greens hold I don’t mind so much the wind,” said Munoz who is making her seventh start of the LOTTE Championship. “Well, it starts getting to me when the greens are really firm.”

In Munoz’s seven starts on the 2019 season, she has three top-5 finishes and an additional top-10 finish—she is so close to adding another win to her LPGA Tour resume (she won the 2012 Sybase Match Play Championship) and feels like her game is coming together to do just that.

“I’m hitting lots of fairways so that gives me the chance to go for the greens, and then my irons too, but also making nice putts,” said Munoz after hitting eight of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens, making 25 putts. “I think when you have a 6-under round everything kind of has to click. I also chipped in on the 3rd hole today, so what helps as well.”

Djokovic extended his winning streak against US players with a 6-3, 6-0 defeat of Taylor Fritz.

The two-time tournament champion has now won nine in a row over Americans since losing at Wimbledon in 2016 to Sam Querrey.

“It was very challenging to play in these (windy) conditions,” Djokovic said. “Taylor just flattens the ball.

“We had five, six close games in the first set, I just managed to break his resistance midway through.

“After that, things went on my side and I felt more comfortable.

“This was one of these days where you just have to hang in there and try to put an extra ball back in the court – that was enough.”

Nadal repeated last year’s semi-final win over Grigor Dimitrov, beating the Bulgarian for the 12th time, 6-4, 6-1.

“I’m very, very happy, this is an important victory for me,” the second seed said after winning his 23rd consecutive set at the tournament.

“Grigor is a super talent and is very dangerous. It was a positive match for me.

“I had a good day, I can be happy with what I did on court.

“When you don’t play on clay for almost a year, every win is important for the confidence, especially as I’m coming back from injury.”

Spain’s 17-time Grand Slam champion started his clay season this week after missing a month with another knee problem and has title-holder points to defend here plus Barcelona, Rome and Roland Garros.

The king of clay is bidding for a 12th trophy in the principality. His record at the event is a staggering 70-4.

Nadal spent almost an hour in securing the first set but picked up the pace in the second as he ran out the winner.

He next faces Guido Pella, who defeated Italy’s Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

Third Alexander Zverev suffered another early exit as he lost 7-6 (8/6), 6-1 to 2013 semi-finalist Fabio Fognini, while French Open runner-up Dominic Thiem was blown away by Dusan Lajovic.

The Serb reeled off five straight games to complete a 6-3, 6-3 win over Indian Wells champion Thiem, who had beaten Lajovic on six previous occasions.

– Medvedev awaits Djokovic –

World number one Djokovic will be playing his ninth quarter-final here from 13 appearances at his home event.

Djokovic turned in a steady performance while his opponent committed nearly 30 unforced errors in 68 minutes.

Sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier lost 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 as Daniil Medvedev continued his run of form.

The Russian will next line up against Djokovic after losing to him in January in the Australian Open fourth round.

Tsitsipas was caught on the back foot facing three match points as he trailed 0-40 on his serve late in the third set.

After saving the first two, the Greek botched the third to seal his exit after an hour and three-quarters.

Medvedev increased his leading total of ATP season match wins to 20 as a result after he beat Tsitsipas for the fourth time in as many attempts.

“This was a great achievement for me,” Medvedev said. “Everything was perfect today.”

Ranked a career-high 14th, Medvedev credits his rising form to a renewed dedication to the sport.

“I’ve been working hard for the past 18 months – since before the start of 2018. I’ve dedicated my life to tennis, which I did not do before,” he said.

“I had my best season last year – hopefully this year will be better.”

The Russian reached his first quarter-final at the Masters 1000 level after winning his second match against a Top 10 opponent.

Tsitsipas, runner-up last season to Nadal in Toronto, suffered his eighth defeat of the season against 18 wins and will try and lift his game next week on the clay of Barcelona.

Italian qualifier Lorenzo Sonego defeated Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5.

Leading 1-0 from last week’s first leg in the Czech capital, Chelsea appeared to be cruising towards the last four after an early goal blitz at Stamford Bridge.

Pedro struck the opener on five minutes before an unfortunate Simon Deli turned into his own net and Olivier Giroud added a third with barely quarter of an hour gone in London.

Tomas Soucek pulled one back for Slavia on 26 minutes, but Spain forward Pedro replied immediately to restore the Blues’ three-goal lead.

Maurizio Sarri’s side were made to sweat though as two sublime, quick-fire goals by Petr Sevcik just after half-time gave Slavia hope of an incredible comeback with 35 minutes still to play.

Chelsea eventually saw off the threat to progress 5-3 on aggregate despite an unconvincing second-half display.

“We have been efficient up front and solid at the back but we dropped our intensity after the break,” Giroud, who scored his competition-leading 10th goal, told BT Sport.

“We started very badly in the second half but I’m really, really happy because we played well in the first 45 minutes and we are in a European semi-final which is very important to us,” added Chelsea boss Sarri.

The 2013 Europa League champions will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the last four after the Germans eliminated Benfica on away goals.

– Lacazette on target –

Eintracht lost 4-2 in Portugal a week ago, but goals by Filip Kostic and former Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Rode sent the German Cup holders through at the Commerzbank Arena.

Kostic turned home a rebound on 37 minutes after Mijat Gacinovic’s curling attempt cannoned back off the upright.

Rode, on loan from Borussia Dortmund, hit the decisive goal on 67 minutes as he picked out the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

In Italy, Alexandre Lacazette drilled in a terrific free-kick on 36 minutes at the Stadio San Paolo as the Gunners completed a 3-0 aggregate victory over Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli.

Petr Cech denied Jose Callejon with his legs following a rapid Napoli break on the quarter-hour as the Italians sought to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg.

But Lacazette’s 30-yard drive all but put the tie beyond Napoli, shortly after Aaron Ramsey hobbled off with a hamstring injury — potentially his final appearance for Arsenal ahead of a move to Juventus in July.

“We came here with ambition and wanted to win and score some goals. We did it with Laca,” Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny told BT Sport.

“We kept a clean sheet, which is important for the confidence. Each game we have in front of us is a final.”

Arsenal boss Unai Emery will come up against one of his former clubs Valencia, the 2004 UEFA Cup winners, for a spot in the final.

Valencia eased through with a 5-1 aggregate win over Villarreal in an all-Spanish affair.

Toni Lato and Dani Parejo grabbed the goals in a 2-0 second-leg victory for Valencia coach Marcelino against his former club.

The semi-finals will be played over May 2 and 9, with this year’s final in Baku on May 29.

Lacazette’s stunning 36th-minute free-kick put the English club through to a final four meeting with Spanish side Valencia.

“I dont know if it’s our best performance this season, but it’s good, particularly after beating Watford Monday,” said Arsenal coach Unai Emery.

“Our objective was to score, we did that, to win, and to be consistent for 90 minutes.

“I’m very proud of the players, very proud of our work. The players showed personality.”

The exit of Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli means no Italian clubs are left in European competition this season.

“We knew it was going to be difficult, and sorry there’s no Italian teams left,” said Ancelotti, after Juventus crashed out of the Champions League to Ajax on Tuesday.

“I think the key to qualification was the first 20 minutes in the away match, that’s when we played really badly.

“The two games were really balanced, there wasn’t that much of a difference as the result suggests.”

Emery’s side were never troubled by the Italians despite the heated atmosphere in the Stadio San Paolo, with just over a thousand English fans among the 40,000 crowd, and after losing midfielder Aaron Ramsey to a hamstring injury after half an hour.

Napoli had turned up the pressure early with a chance to break through after 17 minutes with Kalidou Koulibaly going on the counter-attack, racing up the pitch to cross to Jose Callejon but Petr Cech closed down the Spaniard’s weak effort.

Ramsey limped off after 33 minutes with Henrikh Mkhitaryan coming on for the Welsh international.

The Armenian promptly set up Lacazette who was awarded a free-kick after being brought down by Piotr Zielinski.

Lacazette whipped the ball in from 25 metres past a motionless Alex Meret in the Napoli goal.

Napoli could have scored four goals but paid for sloppy finishing, with captain Lorenzo Insigne visibly upset as the team were whistled off the pitch.

– ‘Play intelligently’ –

Emery now faces a reunion with former club Valencia, 5-1 aggregate winners over fellow Spaniards Villarreal, as he targets a fourth Europa League title.

“I think Arsenal is an intelligent team, they are really well organised offensively and defensively,” said Ancelotti.

“It’s not a team that plays in my opinion fantastic football, but they play intelligently and they deserved victory. I wish them the best in the Europa League.”

The final will be in Baku on May 29.

Three-time Champions League winner Ancelotti finished his first season with Napoli without the promised trophy.

Napoli’s hopes of a first Serie A title since 1990 are over as they trail second in Serie A — 17 points behind Juventus who need just one point to wrap up an eighth consecutive Scudetto.

They have not won a European title since the days of Diego Maradona back in 1989.

“Obviously we’re disappointed that the fans weren’t happy,” said Ancelotti.

“We’re all very disappointed but the heart was there for all 90 minutes, we tried.

“In the first half we played in an intelligent way until the Arsenal goal, we also had a couple of occasions to score a goal, in these games it’s important that things go your way.

“We tried, but we look forward, there’s not going to be any drama, everyone is united to try and bring what we achieved this season forward.

“The future is already a work in progress, we want to secure the second spot (in the league) as soon as possible.”