Heaven 17 for Murray the master
ANDY INTO LAST EIGHT WHERE IT’S RAFA v NOVAK
ANDY MURRAY reached his 17th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final at the French Open yesterday by comfortably disposing of Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in four sets. Only three players in the open era — Roger Federer (36), Jimmy Connors (27) and Novak Djokovic (24) — have bettered Murray’s remarkable record. But the Scot was modest about the achievement, saying: ‘I don’t think there are loads of players who have done that, but I’m playing against guys that make some of the things I have done look pretty average because of how good they have been. ‘Roger went through a period of making finals, semi-finals consistently. I don’t even know how many it was. In comparison to that it’s nothing. But it’s something I look at and I’m very proud of.’ Murray, who last lost before the quarters at the 2010 US Open when eliminated in the third round by Stanislas Wawrinka, now meets Spain’s David Ferrer, whom the British star has never beaten on clay, tomorrow.
ANDY MURRAY may have felt he had wandered on to the set of the Jerry Springer
Show yesterday as he fought his way to yet another Grand Slam quarter-final.
‘Jerry, Jerry,’ the crowd chanted as he was gamely challenged by Frenchman Jeremy Chardy before making the last eight of the French open with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
tomorrow Roland Garros will reverberate to something more significant and substantial, as a colossal quarter-final programme plays itself out with Novak djokovic facing Rafael Nadal.
Murray will have second billing when he tackles world No 8 david Ferrer — and that has nothing to do with the fact the Scot reaches this stage of the majors for a pastime these days.
What, after all, would be able to compete with nine-times champion Nadal attempting to prevent the undisputed world No 1 win- ning the one prize in tennis that so far eludes him?
djokovic and Nadal yesterday set up the meeting that global tennis has so eagerly anticipated since the draw was made.
It has all been facilitated at such an uncommonly early stage by the drop in the Spaniard’s ranking to No 7 and the apparent waning of his phenomenal clay court powers in the lead up to this tournament. the pair have not met this early at any kind of event in more than eight years.
Nadal got through yesterday by overcoming America’s Jack Sock and his huge forehand 6-3, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. the impenetrable djokovic again did not drop a set as he flicked away France’s Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2, 6-3.
despite Nadal’s staggering record here, unblemished by whatever struggles he may have been through since his last visit, it looks like the Serbian’s match to lose this time.
Nadal said: ‘It’s probably the toughest quarter-final in my career but it’s not the final. the winner won’t be the champion and that’s a big difference.’
Murray against Ferrer is not an easy call, because the Spaniard remains indefatigable despite having just turned 33. He is never more dangerous than when playing on clay.
Although the Scot has won nine of their 15 meetings, he has lost on all four occasions when they have played on the red dirt, including at the same stage when they clashed here three years ago.
Murray has the experience and the form, and yesterday was his 14th straight win on the surface this year. It also continued a fine run since getting married and his wedding ring was dangling off a shoelace as he overcame Chardy. this is the 17th straight Grand Slam that has seen Murray make the quarter-final or better — Stan Wawrinka being the last to eliminate him before that stage, in the third round of the 2010 US open.
that is a superb achievement although, never one to get carried away on a cloud of false selfesteem, Murray was quick to put it in perspective.
‘I don’t think there are loads of players who have done that but unfortunately I’m playing against guys who make some of the things I’ve done look average, because of how good they’ve been,’ he said.
‘Roger went through a period of making finals, semi-finals consistently — I know it was ridiculous, I don’t even know how many it was (36). So, in comparison to that it’s nothing, but it is something I look at and I’m very proud of.
‘I’m glad to have managed to maintain that consistency even when I’ve had some periods with injuries.’
Faced with Ferrer, the ultimate grinder, you suspect Murray is going to have to be sharper than he was against Chardy, even though the big man from the Pyrenees packs a heavier punch.
the crowd will be even-handed next time the Scot steps on court, but there is no way Ferrer will be committing the 56 unforced errors registered by the Frenchman, who plays a completely different, go-for-broke style.
Murray tended to hit the ball a little short yesterday and failed to capitalise on the five break points he created in the second set.
He chuntered away at himself for a long time thereafter and it was an edgy third set before he broke for 5-3.
Ferrer, who dropped only 10 games in beating US open champion Marin Cilic, will not be as flaky on the big points as Chardy was. Several times he gifted the advantage at crucial times.
Murray’s result extended another impressive record: it was the 26th straight time he had beaten a player in front of their home crowd.
He might even wish tomorrow’s quarter-final was taking place in Spain.