French Open 2012: Most Intriguing Displays from Day 9 at Roland Garros
Day 9 of the 2012 French Open is in the books. Matches went mostly as expected, with the possible exception of Tomas Berdych's loss.
The field narrows as each day in Roland Garros passes. Let's take a look at which performances from the tournament's ninth day were the most compelling, and telling of things to come.
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Murray battled a bad back all day against Richard Gasquet. The Brit won the match in four sets.
Gasquet dominate Murray in the first set, but Murray improved with each passing point. He loosened up, focused and made it his type of fight.
Murray was accurate on the serve, and played a solid return game throughout the day. Watching him grimace in pain made Murray's performance more mesmerizing. He battled through adversity to take down Gasquet, the French native.
He will need the same effort if he wants to defeat David Ferrer in the next round of competition. Murray has the ability to win any tournament, but his health could be a concern.
Nadal won his match against Juan Monaco in easy, straight sets. He looked like a player ready to play in the finals.
He used all parts of the court, kept Monaco off balance and played his usual aggressive style. Nadal's athleticism is tough to overcome on the clay surface, and his considerable quickness makes it more difficult.
No one expected Monaco to defeat Nadal, but Nadal showed he is still top dog in this Grand Slam tournament.
He appears to be healthy and ready to face Nicolas Almagro in the quarterfinals. The all-Spain match will be intriguing, but Nadal should push through again.
David Ferrer
Ferrer looked excellent against fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers in his straight-set victory. His impressive showing sets up a very intriguing quarterfinal matchup with Murray.
His power and experience gave him the edge on Monday. He is an accomplished performer in the French Open, and showed he is no worse for wear.
Beating Murray will be difficult for Ferrer, but Ferrer's power can be overwhelming. If he shows command and accuracy, he can give Murray a run for his money.
Underdogs and dark-horse candidates start to rise with eight players left in this year's French Open. Ferrer is a guy to watch out for.
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