WASHINGTON, Aug 17: Juan Martin Del Potro extended his winning streak to 18 matches with a 6-2, 6-1 destruction of Germany’s Tommy Haas in the semi-finals of the ATP event in Washington on Saturday.

The second-seeded Argentine, who has won his last three tournaments in Stuttgart, Kitzbuhel and Los Angeles, overpowered Haas in one hour and 22 minutes.

Del Potro next plays unseeded Serb Viktor Troicki, who followed up his win over top seed Andy Roddick by beating Russia’s Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2.

The 19-year-old Del Potro has not been beaten since the second round of Wimbledon in June and said he had almost forgotten how to lose.

“A little, yes, but I can lose in the final so I have to keep going,” Del Potro told reporters.

“Today I think Tommy was a little more tired than me and I played well. I have won a lot of matches, beat a lot of good players and got a lot of confidence.

“Sunday is the most important match. I have to play the final like it is my last.”

Former world No 2 Haas had promised to mix up his game but once he was broken early in the first set, there only appeared to be one winner.

Del Potro’s dominance from the baseline left the fourth seed frequently shaking his head.

After sealing a second break the world number 19 served out for the first set and a double-fault from Haas in the opening game of the second, put the Argentine completely on top.

Del Potro never looked like giving up the break and as Haas’s head dropped, he cruised to victory.

Only Rafael Nadal, who had a 32-match winning streak on his way to five title triumphs earlier this season, has won more consecutive matches and Haas said Del Potro would be one to watch at this month’s US Open.

“He will definitely be the dark horse,” the German said.

“The way he has been playing, he’s probably feeling pretty good. It depends on the draw but he is one to reckon with. He is probably one of the youngest [top players] right now.”

Troicki reached his first ATP Tour final with a confident win over the unseeded Kunitsyn, wrapping up victory in one hour and 15 minutes.

Mauresmo beaten

CINCINNATI (Ohio): Natalie Dechy ended French compatriot Amelie Mauresmo’s hopes of a title win on her comeback from injury with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory over the former world No 1 in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Open on Saturday.

Mauresmo fought back from the loss of the first set but could not maintain her momentum and Dechy ran out the winner after two hours and nine minutes to reach her first final in four years.

In the final, Dechy will play second seed Nadia Petrova, who won the all-Russian clash with third seed Maria Kirilenko 1-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Kirilenko stormed through the first set but the more experienced Petrova recovered to reach her second final of the year.

Mauresmo said she had been encouraged by her performance in Cincinnati, her first tournament since picking up a thigh injury at Wimbledon in late June.

“I got four matches in this week, which is what I was looking for,” Mauresmo said.

“It would have been great to play five but I’ll go to New Haven hoping to find a little more rhythm and build up to the US Open.”—Reuters

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