Posts Tagged ‘Briton’

Murray will begin again while Federer leaves

Andy Murray improved from a deprived beginning to lead Italy’s Fabio Fognini by a set when rain halted third round play at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000. The Briton was leading 7-6 (13-11) 1-0 after improving from 5-0 down in the starting set on Court des Princes.

Murray will begin again at 0930 BST on Wednesday, with a potency quarter final to follow later on in the day. Roger Federer’s fights continued as he downed 6-4 7-5 to fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka on Thursday.

The world number two had received a wildcard into the occasion as he appears for a first title since October.

Federer said, “I was producing a little too many faults that sort of gave him the benefit. I just thought Stan played well. I’m pleased and contented for him that he has made progressed so much in the last couple years. He’s lastly building a push, acquiring close to top players and crushing top players like myself. I think it’s big for him.”

Federer downs Italian Andreas Seppi easily sufficient in his starting match but 13th seed Wawrinka, who achieved the Olympic doubles title with Federer in Beijing, proved far tougher. The beginning of play was late by over five hours and saw Murray’s match changed to the second show court, while Federer got centre stage on Court Central.

But it was Wawrinka who burst serve in the seventh game when he changed his sixth break point, while Federer had yet to manage one. The natural mistakes that have haunted Federer all year continued to run and, after the pair swapped breaks at the beginning of the second set, an untamed forehand put Wawrinka forward once more at 6-5.

Federer made two break points as Wawrinka served for the match but the fewer heralded Swiss held his courage and defended back to get his first match point, and claim a first win over his compatriot in three meetings.

Wawrinka said, “It was not such a trouble free match but of course I am pretty happy to have achieved it. I am a little bit uncomfortable to celebrate it.”

The world number 108 stormed into a twice smash lead but unsuccessful to serve out at the first chance and paid the price. Murray rose in confidence, spinning off five games in a row to draw level before Fognini gathered himself adequately to force a tie break.

And it demonstrated to be an amazing climax to the set as both players frequently took, and threw away, the initiative.

The couple had seen three set points apiece go begging before Murray lastly changed the fourth when the Italian missed a break, and the rain that followed gave Fognini a welcome opportunity to regroup before the match resumes on Friday.

Andy Murray qualified for Semis at Indian Wells

At Indian Wells Andy Murray reached the last four with an excellent brilliant battling 7-5 7-6 (8-6) wining over Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic. In the match neither player detected their beat, though the Briton started fine when he terminated in the beginning game.

Ivan Ljubicic broke back in the sixth but Miss a step and fall on his serve in the eleventh with Murray going on to obtain the set. Both players showed marvelous performance and made each other’s service broke in the second set of games. But at the time when it came to the tie-break, both players have to face a tough challenge; Andy Murray determined and contained his nerve to seal a tough win.

Now Murray will face also Roger Federer or Fernando Verdasco in the last four at Indian Wells.

In a shortly speech the 21 years old Murray prescribed “I thought I did well, at the end of each set I began to make further returns. I did very well in the tie-break at the end. He further said “I didn’t serve big the entire time but on the second serve didn’t offer any opportunities away; I bounced back fine and well each time I got broken, so I was happy with that.”

It appeared that Murray who just played fifty minutes in the last round before his opponent Tommy Robredo retired injured, would walk the match against Ljubicic, who had taken part in a three-hour marathon against Igor Andreev the previous day.

In both players’ performances the wind played a big role and the crowds at Indian Wells were not treated to a hard-court classic partly as a consequence of the situation. For the British number one the things began good, who went 2-0 up after having broken the Croat in the first game.

When Murray played a lot of badly judged drop shots into the net Ljubicic broke back in the sixth. But Murray again beat the 30 year old in the 11th and held serve to take the first set 7-5. It was all mundane stuff in the second set until the ninth game when at deuce; Murray challenged the umpire who had called the shot out and called a shot in. The Hawk-Eye repeat backed Murray to the anger of Ljubicic. The Croat went on misplace his service game.

Murray said “The reason I challenged was because he appeared like he was going to hit it; then the call came, and he still hit the ball over,”. I thought maybe he thought it was going out. But I couldn’t see, because of the ATP sign at the side of the court.

Though, the Croat established himself and broke Murray’s serve in the next. But in the tie-break, the Scot came out on top with a Ljubicic unforced error from the baseline giving him the conquest.