Djokovic reaches final at China Open

Beijing:

Novak Djokovic cruised into the final of the China Open on Saturday with a 6-3, 6-3, victory over Sweden's Robin Soderling.

Djokovic broke Soderling in the first game and after double faulting on deuce at 4-3, fired three consecutive aces to hold serve and went on to take the set.

Soderling took a 2-0 lead in the second set before Djokovic broke back to level at 2-2. Djokovic broke Soderling's serve again at 4-3 and then served out the match with an ace.

"I assure you that it was a lot more difficult because he's a big server, a big hitter and he was very aggressive throughout the whole match," said world No. 2 Djokovic. "So I was very patient and I waited for my chances that were given to me and I used them at the right time."

"I tried to get as many returns as possible in the court to make him play an extra shot. And that's what I did extremely well."

Saturday's other men's semifinal features Spanish No. 2 Rafael Nadal against eighth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia. Djokovic has won all three of his encounters with Cilic, but is 5-9 against Nadal.

In the women's competition, Svetlana Kuznetsova plays fellow Russian Nadia Petrova and Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland meets Marion Bartoli of France.