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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." Jim Otto Womens Jersey .C. -- The shot that would have beaten No. Tim Brown Womens Jersey . The Hockey Canada Foundation is donating $50,000, with Hockey Quebec contributing $15,000. Hockey Canada also announced it will hold a skills camp for all levels of minor hockey in Lac-Mégantic during the 2013-14 season. 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Wittmans approach helped turn the Wizards from pushover to playoff winners. Now hell have a chance to stick around following a 44-38 season, a 15-win improvement from last year, after the Wizards gave him a contract extension. "I think over the last couple of years what weve begun to establish here, continuity I think is important," Wittman said Wednesday in the hallway near the practice court at the Verizon Center. "Im appreciative of the opportunity to continue on." The Wizards reached the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and won their first post-season series since 2005. They accomplished it in the final year of Wittmans contract and under a preseason mandate to make the playoffs from owner Ted Leonsis. "I was here when it was not pretty. When you see it change, when you see the things that youve implemented begin to work, you want to continue on," the 54-year-old Wittman said. Wittman guided the Wizards to a first-round win over the Chicago Bulls before losing in six games to the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in their Eastern Conference semifinal. "Over the last 2 1/2 years really, Randy has established a great culture, a hard-working culture, a defensive-oriented team," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "Weve been a top-10 defensive team in the league the last two years. Weve made good progress. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but were headded in the right direction.ddddddddddddquot; Asked if retaining Wittman was an easy decision," Grunfeld stated," Yes, it was." Having already coached rebuilding squads with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, Wittman took over as head coach when Flip Saunders was fired in January 2012. As was the case in those other spots, losses starting piling up in Washington. Wittman has the worst regular-season record of anyone who has coached at least 400 NBA games — 191-329, a .367 winning percentage — since the league started in 1946. "Job security is fleeting, as we all know in this business," said Wittman, who played in the NBA for nine seasons. "If you worry about it, youre not going to do your job well." With John Wall sidelined, the Wizards opened the 2012-13 season with a 4-28 record. When their point guard returned, Washington finished 24-25. With Wall healthy and turning into a first-time All-Star alongside backcourt partner Bradley Beal, Washington ended the 2013-14 season fifth in the Eastern Conference. Washington has plenty of decisions remaining. Two starters — centre Marcin Gortat and forward Trevor Ariza — are unrestricted free agents. Overall, 10 players are entering some level of free agency or the organization must decide whether to exercise a team option. Though Wittman and Grunfeld have stated a desire to the keep the core intact, the roster could certainly look different next season. But the man on the sideline will be familiar. ' ' '