Spanish conquistador capitalises on opponent’s 59 errors
ANDY Murray’s hopes of ending Britain’s 76year wait for a Grand Slam men’s champion stalled again yesterday when he was defeated 6-4 6-7 6-3 6-2 by Spain’s David Ferrer in the French Open quarter-finals.
Defending champion and second seed Rafael Nadal ousted another Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro 7-6 6-2 6-3.
Sixth-seeded Ferrer reached his first Roland Garros semi-final where he will tackle compatriot and six-time champion Nadal tomorrow for a place in Sunday’s final.
“It will be a tough match against Rafa, he’s the best in history on this surface, but I hope to have a good match,” said Ferrer.
“Tonight’s match was very hard, physically very difficult. But I am happy to be in the semi-finals at Roland Garros for the first time.”
Murray, bidding to reach a second successive French Open semi-final, comfortably matched his opponent in the gruelling, big-hitting rallies, but was undone by 59 unforced errors.
“He had his chances and converted them. He’s solid and consistent and if you don’t convert opportunities against him, the games become longer and the pressure builds on you,” said Murray, who had reached the semi-finals in the last five Grand Slams.
“But it was a good tournament for me. I felt better coming in this year than I did last year. I lost to a better claycourt player tonight. There are things to work on but I knew it would be a tough match.”
Despite trailing 5-4 in their career meetings, Ferrer had a 3-0 advantage on clay and the 30-year-old was quickly into his stride yesterday, breaking for a 3-1 lead and carving out a set point in the eighth game which Murray saved.
The Scot broke to 4-5 but, in the 10th game, Ferrer converted a set point thanks to a netted Murray forehand drive.
It had been a tight opener, but Murray’s 19 unforced errors proved fatal to his hopes and it was the third time in five matches in Paris this year that he had lost the first set.
The bruising hitting continued in the second set, under heavy, rain-filled skies as breaks were shared in the first and second and then seventh and eighth games.
Murray then played an impressive tie-breaker to level the match.
The world No 4 was 1-0 ahead in the third when rain sent the players ducking for cover for 30 minutes.
On the resumption, Ferrer broke 2-1, had break points in the fifth game before Murray levelled at 3-3.
But the terrier-like Ferrer kept snapping and pressing, clinching another break for a 4-3 lead and wrapping up the third set on his third set point in the ninth game when Murray unleashed a wild forehand.
Ferrer carved out two match points, one of which was saved but the tie was his when Murray pushed a backhand wide.
The win over Almagro was the 50th for Nadal at the spiritual home of claycourt tennis since he first competed in Paris as an 18-year-old in 2005.
This year Nadal is bidding to become the first player to win seven French Open titles, moving him out of a tie with Swedish legend Bjorn Borg. A win on Sunday would also be his 11th Grand Slam title, level with Borg and Rod Laver.
In the end Almagro went the way of so many others over the course of the last seven years, but he gave a solid account of himself, especially in a hotlydisputed first set.
“He had chances in the third. He had a few very good moments hitting the ball very hard,” said Nadal of Almagro who he beat for the eighth time in eight matches.
“But my serve worked really well, and he had one mistake, one important mistake with the forehand.” – Sapa-AFP
Tennis