CINCINNATI -- The semifinals on the men's and women's sides of the Western & Southern Open from Mason, Ohio, are now set.
Here is the schedule of action for Saturday (All matches air on ESPN2):
No. 4 Andy Murray (Great Britain) vs. No. 7 Mardy Fish (United States) -- 1 p.m. EST -- Mardy Fish is playing the best tennis of his career, winning Atlanta and making finals in Los Angeles and Toronto. His relatively easy win over Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals cemented his place a player who is playing top-five caliber tennis right now. Andy Murray has been flying under the radar in Cincinnati, with routine victories over unspectacular opponents. Expect this one to be tight, but for Fish's momentum and crowd support ot pull him through. Prediction: Fish in 3.
No. 1 Novak Djokovic (Serbia) vs. No. 8 Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) -- Not before 2:30 p.m. EST -- Novak Djokovic looked vulnerable for the first time in his quarterfinal against Gael Monfils, but ultimately his variety and possession of a Plan B won him the match. Berdych, who ousted Roger Federer in his quarterfinal, should have similar problems finishing off Djokovic. Prediciton: Djokovic in 2.
No. 4 Maria Sharapova (Russia) vs. No. 2 Vera Zvonareva (Russia) -- 7 p.m. EST -- Surprisingly, Sharapova and Zvonareva have not played since 2009. Sharapova has won five of their last six meetings, and with how well she's been returning this week, it's hard to see her falling short of her second consecutive final in Cincinnati. Prediction:
No. 9 Andrea Petkovic (Germany) vs. No. 13 Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) -- After a very shaky match against Jarmila Gajdosova in the first round, Andrea Petkovic has been the most solid player in the tournament outside of Sharapova, dropping only six games in each of her last three matches. Jankovic got a walkover from an injured Peng Shuai in her quarterfinal, which should help keep her fresh, but might also kill her momentum. She has far more big match experience than Petkovic, but nowhere near as much game right now. Prediction: Petkovic in 2.
Sharapova in 2.
