Murray gets revenge

Andy Murray gained revenge on Spain’s Albert Ramos-vinolas but was pushed all the way in a gruelling threehour encounter 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to make the Barcelona Open semifinals on Friday.

Ramos-vinolas beat the world number one on Murray’s return from an elbow injury in the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters last week. He threatened to repeat that upset when he served for the match in the third set.

However, Murray, who accepted a late wildcard to the event in the Catalan capital to gain match practice ahead of next month’s French Open, battled back to edge out the world number 19 in a final set tiebreak.

“It was obviously a very tough match,” said Murray. “It was kind of the opposite of the match we had last week where probably today he deserved to win. He created a lot more chances, he served for the match and couldn’t quite get it.

“Last week I had 4-0 (in the third set), I felt like I had all of the chances. Sometimes on clay matches happen this way, so very happy to get through because it was very tough.”

Ramos-vinolas is in the form of his life having risen to a career high ranking after reaching the final in Monte Carlo.

NASTASE SAYS SORRY

Bucharest Romanian tennis great Ilie Nastase apologised on Friday for racist comments about Serena Williams and for a foul-mouthed and abusive Fed Cup tirade that saw him suspended by the International Tennis Federation.

“My words during the Fed Cup have rightfully caused controversy and upset the audience, the press and, most painfully for me, the tennis world,” the former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner, 70, said on Facebook.

He said that his comments last Friday about the pregnant Williams -- he was overheard by a journalist talking about her baby being “chocolate with milk” -- was a “spontaneous” reaction to hearing she was expecting a child.