Murray set for one-set decider
Andy Murray will today bid to complete a stunning French Open fightback against Viktor Troicki after coming from two sets and a break down to tie the fourth-round match at 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 when play was called off last night because of darkness.
The world number four’s participation had been in doubt because of a right ankle injury suffered in his previous match against Michael Berrer and he lost the first five games to the 15th seed before gradually turning things around.
Having looked almost unable to run from one side of the court to the other in the early stages, Murray loosened up and came within a point of levelling a remarkable first set.
The second he arguably should have won after taking a 4-2 lead but he was having trouble holding his serve and was promptly broken twice in a row.
When Troicki, who has improved massively since helping Serbia win the Davis Cup last year, broke again early in the third set it seemed like the end was nigh for Murray but he dug deep and responded in kind.
At last the Scot found himself able to play the shots for which he is renowned, angling winners past Troicki and pounding the 25-year-old’s forehand.
And it paid off, with another break enough to take the third set before Murray dominated the fourth against a weary opponent. As the clock reached 9.30pm, play was called off, setting the stage for a single-set shoot-out at 2pm local time.
The winner will meet Juan Ignacio Chela, who defeated Alejandro Falla in five sets today, while Rafael Nadal and Robin Soderling set up a repeat of their final clash from 12 months ago.
On that occasion the Spaniard won convincingly but Soderling remains the only man to have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros with his fourth-round victory in 2009.
The world number one defeated Ivan Ljubicic 7-5 6-3 6-3 but again was not at his best and he admitted he will need to improve if he is to secure a sixth title.
Nadal said: “I am not confident. I am not playing well enough to win this tournament the way I played. That’s the truth. You have to be realistic. I won five times already here. I don’t have an obligation to win six. I am going to try for sure.”
Nadal’s main rival for the title, world number Novak Djokovic, received a free passage through to the last four when opponent Fabio Fognini pulled out with a thigh injury.
The Serb will meet the winner of today’s clash between Roger Federer and Gael Monfils, who won arguably the match of the tournament yesterday with a 6-4 2-6 7-5 1-6 8-6 victory over in-form David Ferrer.
In the women’s draw, Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka stayed on course for a last-four meeting while today’s first semi-finals see defending champion Francesca Schiavone meet Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova while Svetlana Kuznetsova takes on Marion Bartoli.
