<p>US Open champion Andy Murray was stunned by Milos Raonic 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 in the semifinals of the Japan Open on Saturday, ending the Briton’s defence of his Tokyo title.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Local favourite Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese player to reach the final of the $1.28 million Tokyo event after thrashing Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-2 in just 61 minutes.<br /><br />Murray’s temper erupted on several occasions, the Olympic champion smashing another racquet and yelling furiously at himself after blowing a 4-1 third set lead and two match points.<br /><br />Paes in title round<br /><br />Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek outplayed Daniele Bracciali and Frantisek Cermak in straight sets to storm into final of the doubles event.<br />The top seeded Indo-Czech pair defeated the Italian-Czech combination scored a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and three minutes in the semifinals.<br /><br />Azarenka in final<br /><br />World number one Victoria Azarenka set up a final date with Maria Sharapova at the <br />China Open after the top two seeds enjoyed comprehensive victories in their semifinals on Saturday. <br /><br />Sharapova blew away home favourite Li Na 6-4, 6-0 before top seed Azarenka saw off the challenge from France’s Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2. <br /><br />Meanwhile, India’s Sania Mirza ended her 2012 season on a disappointing note after she and her partner Nuria Llagostera Vives suffered a straight-set loss in the summit clash of the China Open. <br /><br />The fifth seeded Indo-Spanish pair lost 5-7, 5-7 to third seeded Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the finals of the USD 4,828,050 hard court event.<br />Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Feliciano Lopez in the semifinals of the men’s section to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for November’s season-ending World Tour finals in London.<br /><br />Third seed Tsonga, ranked number seven in the world, won the first set 6-1 and was up 4-1 in the second when his Spanish opponent retired due to a left wrist injury.<br />He will meet World No 2 Novak Djokovic in the final.</p>
<p>US Open champion Andy Murray was stunned by Milos Raonic 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 in the semifinals of the Japan Open on Saturday, ending the Briton’s defence of his Tokyo title.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Local favourite Kei Nishikori became the first Japanese player to reach the final of the $1.28 million Tokyo event after thrashing Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-2 in just 61 minutes.<br /><br />Murray’s temper erupted on several occasions, the Olympic champion smashing another racquet and yelling furiously at himself after blowing a 4-1 third set lead and two match points.<br /><br />Paes in title round<br /><br />Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek outplayed Daniele Bracciali and Frantisek Cermak in straight sets to storm into final of the doubles event.<br />The top seeded Indo-Czech pair defeated the Italian-Czech combination scored a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 in one hour and three minutes in the semifinals.<br /><br />Azarenka in final<br /><br />World number one Victoria Azarenka set up a final date with Maria Sharapova at the <br />China Open after the top two seeds enjoyed comprehensive victories in their semifinals on Saturday. <br /><br />Sharapova blew away home favourite Li Na 6-4, 6-0 before top seed Azarenka saw off the challenge from France’s Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2. <br /><br />Meanwhile, India’s Sania Mirza ended her 2012 season on a disappointing note after she and her partner Nuria Llagostera Vives suffered a straight-set loss in the summit clash of the China Open. <br /><br />The fifth seeded Indo-Spanish pair lost 5-7, 5-7 to third seeded Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the finals of the USD 4,828,050 hard court event.<br />Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Feliciano Lopez in the semifinals of the men’s section to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for November’s season-ending World Tour finals in London.<br /><br />Third seed Tsonga, ranked number seven in the world, won the first set 6-1 and was up 4-1 in the second when his Spanish opponent retired due to a left wrist injury.<br />He will meet World No 2 Novak Djokovic in the final.</p>