Andy Murray vs. David Ferrer: Score and Reaction from 2015 French Open
Andy Murray preserved his sparkling form on clay in the quarter-finals of the French Open on Wednesday, beating David Ferrer 7-6(4), 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.
The result was confirmed by the tournament’s official Twitter account:
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Murray was the big favourite in this one, taking an unbeaten record on the surface in 2015 into the clash with the 2013 finalist. After coming out on top in a tight first set, the Brit took a relentless grip on the match, and although Ferrer rallied to take the third, Murray was always in control.
Initially, it seemed set for a cracker to be played out between these two. With the Paris sunshine lighting up the Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the pair traded some relentless blows in what was a punishing 68-minute opening set.
Murray broke Ferrer in the fourth game and the eighth game to establish a two-game lead. But on both occasions, the gritty Spaniard fought back, much to the Brit’s frustration. Eventually, as both men struggled with their serves, the opening stanza went to a tiebreak.
After losing momentum late in the set, Murray did brilliantly to dominate the breaker. His striking on big points was cleaner, as Ferrer toiled under pressure. The Brit took the tiebreak 7-4 to establish a crucial early advantage and a platform for dictating the remainder of the contest.
Here’s a look at the moment he seized the set:
However, as noted by SI Tennis, having never beaten the Spaniard on clay before, Murray still had a long way to go:
Losing an arduous opener in such tight circumstances is enough to sap the momentum out of any player. Ferrer actually had three break points at the start of the second set, but the Spaniard squandered all of the opportunities. Then, in the very next game, Murray capitalised on some weary shots from his opponent to break and go 3-1 ahead.
As noted by Piers Newbery of BBC Sport, while both players were making mistakes, Ferrer was making them at precarious moments in the quarter-final:
After breaking, Murray took over. He had no issues settling down into long rallies, and as he grew into the match, it seemed as though the Spaniard was wilting under the unrelenting Paris sun. As his serve started to click into gear, the Scot was simply too good in the latter stages of the set, cruising to a 6-2 second-set win.
Former player Jonas Bjorkman paid tribute to the third seed’s unrelenting energy in what was a lopsided second stanza:
Mentally and physically, the 2013 runner-up was broken at this point. Hauling himself back into the match on two occasions in the first set had taken a lot out of Ferrer, and as the third got underway, the Spaniard was beginning to look every one of his 33 years.
Credit must to go Murray, though. He seemed to get better and better as the match moved toward a conclusion, breaking Ferrer in the second game of the third set to move 2-0 in front. With two sets and a break in the third secured, the match seemed to be up for the Spaniard.
As noted here by Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times, with Rafael Nadal also out, it has been a pretty rough year for Spanish players in the major tournaments:
Remarkably, perhaps inspired by the news that Rafa had been eliminated, Ferrer came roaring back. He broke Murray to get the third set back on serve and saved a match point before breaking the Scot again to take the third set 7-5.
Suddenly, the Spaniard was back in contention, and as noted by Carl Bialik of ESPN.com, the veteran actually has a pretty good record when looking to recover from two sets down:
There's little doubt some complacency had crept into Murray's game, but from the outset of the fourth, it was clear that minor faux pas had jolted him into life.
As had been the case throughout the match, Murray broke early on to take a 2-0 lead, and when he consolidated by holding and breaking again, at 4-0, there really was no way back for Ferrer.
As noted by BBC Tennis, any hint of a lackadaisical finish had gone:
Ferrer seemed drained after putting in a momentous effort to get back into the contest and was powerless to nullify Murray's thunderous hitting. Eventually, the third seed romped to a 6-1 win in the fourth and into what promises to be a thriller of a final-four encounter on Friday.
Murray admitted he was disappointed to let the third set slip, but was happy with his display and is looking forward to the semi-final, per BBC Sport:
"The third set was tough to lose having match point. The groundsman watered the court and I went to the bathroom to take a few minutes and get my composure back.
It's going to be an extremely tough match against Novak. I'm going to need to play a high-quality match to have a chance.
"
Facing Djokovic will be an altogether different proposition for the Scot, especially given the physical duress that’ll inevitably accompany a clash with the world No. 1. But there’s no reason why Murray, who is looking as good as he ever had on this surface, shouldn’t be confident.
Granted, Djokovic is also undefeated on clay this year, but if any player on the circuit is capable of living with the imperious Serb at the moment, it’s Murray. Either way, with Roger Federer out and the final just one win away, the semi-final showdown between these two obdurate, in-form champions will be an unmissable spectacle.
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