MURRAY HAPPY WITH HIS BEST VICTORY YET
WIMBLEDON CHAMPION FEELS BETTER AFTER SEALING 10TH STRAIGHT LAST-EIGHT PLACE
Wimbledon champion Andy Murray became just the third player in the Open era – after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer – to reach 10 consecutive quarter-finals at a single grand slam yesterday.
Murray continued his journey through his wacky Wimbledon draw with an ultimately comfortable 7-6 6-4 6-4 win against Benoit Paire to reach the quarter-finals.
Following on from Alexander Bublik, Dustin Brown and Fabio Fognini, Paire is another of the tour’s more quirky characters, and it was no surprise that Murray looked short of rhythm.
Hewastwiceabreakdown in the opening set but, after saving two set points, Paire played a dreadful tie-break.
Murray saved four break points at 5-4 before serving out the second set and then secured the crucial break in the ninth game of the third.
Frenchman Paire hit 50 winners compared to just 25 for Murray and entertained the crowd with several attempts at diving shots but ultimately was far too erratic.
The world No 1 felt he took a step up from his performance against Fognini and shrugged off more questions about his troublesome hip.
“Like I said at the beginning of the tournament, I’ll be able to get through seven matches if that’s what I have to do,” he said.
“Obviously I want to try to get to the final. I’ve done a good job so far here. Today was by far the best I hit the ball, the cleanest I hit the ball. I was happy about that.
“The last couple of days, practice has been really good. I didn’t feel great during my last match.
“I didn’t feel like I played so well, not loads of rhythm in the first two matches.
“I definitely felt better today. That’s positive moving into the last few days of the tournament.”
Paire tested out Murray’s movement by deploying a lot of drop shots at the start but did not find it wanting.
“I think he has no problem,” said the world No 46. “Between the points, we can do what we want, but during the point he can run like a rabbit. For him, is every time like this. So it’s never easy to know if he’s injured. Mostly I think he can win Wimbledon. He has not a lot of confidence, for sure, but he can.”
In tomorrow’s quarterfinal, Murray faces American Sam Querrey, who won the battle of the big servers against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in five sets.
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal called his epic five-set defeat by Gilles Muller a “lost opportunity”.
The two-time Wimbledon champion clearly had his eyes on a third title, but Muller stunned the Spaniard, and a disbelieving Court One, by triumphing 15-13 in a marathon fifth set which lasted two and a quarter hours.
“I played better than other years, true. At the same time I was ready for important things, so I lost an opportunity,” said Nadal.
Novak Djokovic suffered a setback when the late finish of Nadal’s match meant that he will only play his fourthround match against Adrian Mannarino today. Officials decided against switching the match to Centre Court, whjere play could have gone on until 11pm.
Roger Federer cruised past Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 6-2 6-4.