pinpoint ground strokes that kept the Romanian runnin

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call and claimed he didnt realize he had broken the rules. When Andy Murray walked to the net and challenged him about it, Djokovic responded with a shrug and a sheepish smile. Murray lost the dispute, and the match. The pivotal ruling against the defending champion helped Djokovic win 7-5, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Sony Open. Roger Federer was up a service break twice in the second set but lost to No. 20-seeded Kei Nishikori 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. Nishikori will play Djokovic on Friday. The point that aggravated Murray occurred at the start of the 12th game, when he was serving at 5-6. Djokovic charged forward to volley a short ball and hit it for a winner. Murray argued -- and TV replays confirmed -- he should have been awarded the point because Djokovics racket was on the far side of the net when he hit the ball. Chair umpire Damian Steiner declined to change his call, and such rulings cant be appealed for video review. Murray briefly discussed the matter with Djokovic. "I went and asked Novak, and he told me he was over the net," Murray said. "Look, it might be my mistake," Djokovic said. "I think I crossed the net with the racket. I didnt touch the net. Maybe the rule is that you are not allowed to pass on his side with the racket. Im not sure. You tell me." That is indeed the rule. Djokovic said that if he had understood it correctly, he would have conceded the point. A flustered Murray committed unforced backhand errors on the next three points to lose the game and the set. "Obviously, that distracted him mentally, and after that he gave the set away," Djokovic said. Murray took a lead in the second set but lost the final four games and the last 12 points. Afterward, he downplayed the bad call. "Im not angry," he said. "It maybe had a slight bearing on that game, but I was still up a break in the second set." Nishikori will be playing in only his second ATP Masters 1000 semifinal, and his first in 2 1/2 years. "I thought I really played well, especially in the third set," Nishikori said. "I was hitting balls deep and striking well. Everything was going well." Federer was the runner-up to Djokovic at Indian Wells two weeks ago, and said hes pleased with his start to the year despite the latest loss. "I just couldnt find my rhythm on the serve today, which was surprising," Federer said. "Its a bit frustrating, but Kei did well to stay with me. He was more consistent in the second and third, and in the end its to his credit." Li Na became the first Chinese woman to reach the Key Biscayne semifinals when she beat Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 7-5. Lis opponent Thursday night will be Dominika Cibulkova, who erased three match points in the second set -- one when a call was overturned via replay -- and beat Agnieszka Radwanska 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Six-time champion Serena Williams will play five-time runner-up Maria Sharapova in the other womens semifinal. Williams has beaten Sharapova 14 consecutive times. Murray won the Key Biscayne title in 2009 and 2013 but wasnt at his best against Djokovic. The Scotsman committed five double-faults and 32 unforced errors, including a flurry down the stretch. He took a 3-2 lead in the second set with his only service break, then double-faulted twice to give it right back. But it all might have been different if not for the call that made one point stand out from the other 125. Djokovic had won praise for his sportsmanship when he conceded a point following an erroneous call in his match Tuesday, but against good friend Murray, he left the verdict to the umpire. A sideline reporter told Murray that TV replays showed he was correct about the call, and during the ensuing changeover he questioned Steiner. "His racket was over the net," Murray said. "Its quite clear. You can see it on the replay." "I have to make a decision at the moment," Steiner replied. Any hard feelings on Murrays part didnt carry over after the match, when he shook hands with Djokovic and Steiner. "Its a hard one for the umpire to call," Murray said. "Just frustrating." And Djokovic said the call was the umpires to make. "Its not my fault," he said. "I mean, I was never lying on the court. I always try to be fair to whoever I play against." NMD Fake .com) - The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Seth Curry on Tuesday. NMD Sale .B. -- Canadian pairs skaters Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford went from elated to frustrated in the span of a few minutes. https://www.cheapnmdoutlet.com/ . -- Rodney Stuckey scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks for the first time in eight meetings, 92-86 on Tuesday night. NMD Cheap . Now, he might be their hottest pitcher. Lobstein earned up his first major league victory Sunday night, allowing one run in 5 2-3 innings in the Tigers 6-1 win over the San Francisco Giants. NMD Wholesale . The White Sox said Wednesday they acquired left-handed pitching prospect Sean Bierman and infielder Ben Kline, who both played at Class A this season. The White Sox dealt Crain to Tampa Bay on July 29.MADRID, Spain -- Maria Sharapova bounced back from a poor start to defeat Simona Halep 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 Sunday and win the Madrid Open title. Sharapova, who lost to Serena Williams in last years final, crumbled in the opening set when she held her serve just once. But Haleps serve dipped in the second set, and Sharapova started hitting pinpoint ground strokes that kept the Romanian running. The ninth-ranked Russian converted both her break points in the set to even the match. Sharapova then pulled away in the deciding set with an early break to follow up her triumph in Stuttgart with a maiden title in Madrid. Since the 2011 French Open, Sharapova has a 47-3 record on clay -- with all three defeats coming to Williams. The top-ranked American was the two-tiime defending champion in Madrid but withdrew with a leg injury on Friday.dddddddddddd "I dont know how I pulled it off," Sharapova said after winning her 32nd career title. "I came close last year, and I didnt have a great first set today, but I knew it wasnt over until the last point was played." Sharapova looked dejected midway through the first set as she hit four double-faults, but she seemed to regain her focus at the start of the second. As Sharapova celebrated the win, Halep slumped in her chair dejectedly despite having reached her first Masters final. Later, top-ranked Rafael Nadal looks to become the first player to defend his title when the three-time champion faces Japans Kei Nishikori in the mens final. ' ' '