Checkmate for Murray
WITH CHESS-LOVING Karen Khachanov duly dispatched, it was time to start thinking a few moves ahead. And tennis legend John McEnroe now believes Andy Murray can go all the way and lift the French Open trophy.
The wobbles of a clay-court season hit by illness and injury were finally put behind the world No1 as he took just two hours and four minutes to see off the world No53 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
The fiery Russian, inset, could find no way past Murray’s impenetrable defence and the two times the Briton was broken, he promptly broke his opponent back the following game. Murray was in control throughout as he made the quarter-finals.
There were none of the “wows” and “oohs” from the Court Philippe Chatrier that have accompanied Rafa Nadal’s high-powered outings this fortnight; Murray’s was a much more considered victory.
In simple terms, the fierce Khachanov forehands that put paid to Tomas Berdych and John Isner were relentlessly hit back into court again and again until he fired one wide or long.
Throw into the mix at least a handful of drop-shots from Murray followed by the cruellest of lobs and, by the end, it seemed he was playing with the 21-year-old novice.
“Today was probably the best I have played overall,” he said. “It was difficult conditions, AT ROLAND GARROS pretty windy out there. It wasn’t easy. But each match I feel like I played better. I have hit the ball cleaner and started to see the right shots at the right moments.
“I’ve come a long way the last 10 days or so. I said after the last match that what’s important is what you’re thinking right before the following point. Just now I’m quite clear with what I’m doing.
“That has been good the last few matches and I’m happy with where my game’s at. Everything is going pretty well just now. I’m feeling good going into the middle part of the second week.”
And having watched him in action, seventime Grand Slam champion McEnroe feels the draw is stacked in favour of a potential Murray victory in the final on Sunday.
Nadal has been unstoppable, while Novak Djokovic has been improving ominously with each outing. In addition, up-andcoming 23-year-old Dominic Thiem, the sixth seed, is still to lose a set in the championship. However, they are all grouped together in the bottom half of the draw.
McEnroe said: “Andy has been great. I don’t think he was as far away as people were saying. It’s a lot of attitude. He’s tougher to beat in the Slams.
“The draw looked fairly tough in the beginning but now you would have to say you would be somewhat surprised if he didn’t get at least to the semis, if not the final. The top four guys will probably be in the semi-finals – it’s certainly nice to see Rafa back. These conditions, balls kicking up pretty high, it’s pretty rough out there.
“But something tells me that it is not a foregone conclusion. I’d be very interested to see Novak play him and, whoever gets through, it would be interesting to see the final because a lot of effort would be put out by whoever wins that match.”
Furthermore, McEnroe feels a quarter-final against Thiem would hone Djokovic perfectly for the semis.
“Thiem will be a good test, but Novak’s getting there,” he added. “They’re all getting there at the right moment.” First, though, Murray must find a way past Kei Nishikori, who recovered from a horrific first set to beat Fernando Verdasco 0-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.
“It was a bit unusual,” said the eighth seed. “He started really well and I was running side to side. I couldn’t do anything in the first set. “I tried to play a little more aggressively and it started working a bit better. But it was still a really tough battle with so many long rallies in the second and third sets.
“In the fourth perfect tennis.”
Murray’s older brother Jamie found out just how tricky a quarter-final can be when he was dumped out of the men’s doubles along with Brazilian partner Bruno Soares at that stage yesterday.
The Scot failed to serve out the second set and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and American Donald Young made the most of their let-off, completing a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory. set, played