Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Straight-sets win earns Murray semi-final spot
ANDY Murray defeated Brandon Nakashima in straight sets to book a semi-final spot at Surbiton.
The three-time grand slam winner dispatched the 20-year-old American 6-4 7-6 (7/1), to extend his unblemished Surbiton Trophy record.
Murray eased past Nakashima with precious few concerns, as the 35-year-old inched ever closer to a first singles title on grass in six years.
“The conditions were tricky, it was a bit blustery,” said Murray on court straight after victory.
“And there was some old-school grass court tennis out here.
“I enjoy it here but it is different to Wimbledon and Queen’s, in terms of the way the court plays.
“It’s a lot quicker here and there’s not many opportunities to break serve.
“I had to stay strong at the end of the second set.”
Fifth seed Nakashima became the latest opponent to fall to Murray this week without taking a set off the decorated British star.
Murray has opted to feature at Surbiton in order to sharpen up his grass court game ahead of another assault on Wimbledon.
The Scottish star’s injury battles of the last few years continue to take a toll, but Murray is determined to arrive at SW19 in top form and shape in the coming weeks.
Murray had few concerns in dismissing Nakashima, to add to victories over Gijs Brouwer and Jurij Rodionov in Surrey this week. n RAFAEL Nadal admitted the shine had been taken off reaching another French Open final by the horrific injury suffered by opponent Alexander Zverev.
Nadal and world number three Zverev had been battling for more than three hours when, at the end of the second set, the German slipped to the ground with his ankle twisting underneath him.
Zverev screamed in pain as medics rushed on to the court while Nadal raced around the net to comfort his stricken opponent.
The tearful 25-year-old was taken off court in a wheelchair, and Nadal sat with him while he underwent checks before he re-emerged five minutes later on crutches to confirm he could not continue.
Nadal, who had won the first set on a tie-break and had just levelled at 6-6 in the second, said: “Of course it’s not easy to talk after what happened. The only thing that I can say is I hope he’s not too bad.
“Hopefully it’s just the normal thing when you turn your ankle, and hopefully is nothing broken. That’s what everybody hopes.
“It had been a very, very tough match. I think he started the match playing amazing. I know how much it means to him, to fight to win his first grand slam.
“We are colleagues, we have been practising together a lot of times.
And to see a colleague like this, even if for me it’s a dream to be in the final of Roland Garros, of course that way is not the way that we want it to be. If you are human, you should feel very sorry for a colleague.
“I was there in the small room with Sascha (Zverev) before we came back out. To see him crying, it is a very tough moment.”
In the final, Nadal will face Norwegian eighth seed Casper Ruud who beat Marin Cilic 3-6 6-4 6-2 6-2.