Giant Querrey is next threat to Murray
Andy Murray’s first four Wimbledon opponents have turned the Centre Court into a Theatre of the Absurd, but there will be no more of that from this point on.
Benoit Paire was the latest of the relative eccentrics who have lined up against him, but now comes Sam Querrey, solid citizen of the United States with a hefty frame, a big serve and groundstrokes to match.
After Rafael nadal’s dramatic exit at the hands of Gilles Muller, if Murray beats Querrey he keeps the world no 1 spot. He can no longer play nadal in the semi-finals, but the final is no shoo-in, as standing in his way will be Muller or recent Queen’s finalist Marin Cilic, who has been imperious in reaching the last eight without dropping a set.
Murray kept his half of the bargain to make this the first time in 44 years that a British man and woman are in the last eight.
He did so by coping with the wild undulations of world no 46 Paire who, in between hitting a half-century of winners, threw in some ridiculous errors and spent much of his time on his backside.
It was never dull to watch, although after his 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory Murray was disarmingly blunt in assessing his popularity among spectators.
He hailed his fellow quarter-finalist Jo Konta as someone the country could get behind, because he understands that he remains not everyone’s cup of tea.
‘A lot of people who follow tennis in this country won’t enjoy watching me play. It’s true, you know,’ he said.
‘It’s important to have various different role models in the sport, players competing for the biggest events. I do think it makes a difference to the interest in the sport. So it’s great if you have someone like Jo or Kyle (Edmund) or whoever it is, just different players to follow.
‘People like different game styles, different personalities. That’s important. It’s great that she’s doing well. Hopefully she keeps going the next few days.’
While he and Konta have made history together, Murray getting to the quarter- finals has reassuringly become a part of the summer like Ascot, Henley or hosepipe bans.
This is the 10th successive time he has been this far or better, and even those whom he refers to as not enjoying watching him will one day marvel at that incredible consistency.
Can he go all the way? This match again answered fears about his strange movement, which was sharp when it needed to be, interspersed with that strange limp.
Paire described him as moving ‘like a rabbit’ to all those dropshots, but at the same time Murray did not play as well as he claimed. He only converted five out of 16 break points, for example.
His first- serve speed was again around five miles per hour down on his average of last year although, typically, Murray and his team have done their research on this and found he is hardly unique in that.
‘I do think most of the players seem to be down a bit this year. I don’t know if the balls are a little bit slower,’ he said. ‘I could be wrong, but my second- serve speed seems fairly decent, around what it usually is. My first-serve speed is certainly a little bit down.
‘I’m not sure exactly why that is. We’ve checked a few of the other players. They’ve also been down on the first- serve speed. I don’t know if that’s to do with the balls.
‘I’m in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon. I don’t feel much different just because there’s another Briton in the draw just now.’
Watched by an assortment of golfers and boxers in the Royal Box — the latter his favourite sportspeople — he got off to a tetchy start against Paire and conceded the first break. He also barked several times at his support group in the first set, the first time we have seen that in this tournament.
It felt like he always had the measure of Paire, despite the Frenchman’s potent backhand and sometimes ferocious serve. The challenger completely zoned out during the tiebreak in losing the first six points.
Paire recovered an early break in the second set but he has a rare attention deficit and lost eight straight points to be broken for 5-4. He could not take advantage of three break points as Murray anxiously tried to serve it out.
Murray hammered Paire’s second serve throughout and broke for 5-4 in the third, and his ball- striking was pleasingly clean.
He has not totally convinced so far but at least against world no 28 Querrey he will be more aware of what is coming — the Californian is far more sensible and practical than anything Murray has faced so far this fortnight.