Murray Downs Ferrer To Reach Final
Murray stuns Ferrer to reach straight final
Andy Murray is nearing one of the biggest moments in career. He is one step from hoisting his first grand-slam trophy.
The 23-year-old Scott managed to claim a three-set comeback after being led 1-0 by seventh-ranked David Ferrer. Murray beat the Spaniard 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-6(2) to reach his second straight final at the Australian Open. He lost last year to Roger Federer.
The Scott, who hasn’t dropped any set en route to the quarter finals, had a slow start although he was the first to break Ferrer in the seventh set. Murray went 4-3 only to be broken back in the eighth. The Spaniard, winner of the Sydney tournament – the one that preceded the first major of the year, leveled the score to four. Even more than that, he would grab a 5-4 lead that put him one step from claiming the opener. Murray served to stay in the set, but failed to do it. Ferrer broke him for the second time to win the first set to four.
The second set started almost the same way the first ended. Murray grabbed an early lead to lose the small advantage immediately. Ferrer broke back as things got back to normal. The two went head-to-head until the tenth game. The Scott won another break point in his attempt to recover the poor start. Even so, he wouldn’t succeed to maintain the shot lead.
Ferrer leveled to six and pushed the set into tie-break. This was the moment Murray started to look like himself. He humiliated Ferrer by grabbing a 6-0 lead. The Spaniard could barely believe his eyes. He got a two-point consolation but then conceded the set to a very aggressive Murray.
As for the third round, this found the Scott looking, playing and behaving like a veritable champion. He broke the Spaniard twice to take a quick 5-1 lead and win the set later on. Hardly did the fourth set start that Murray proved to be in control. This could be easily seen early in the last round. Murray grabbed a 2-0 advantage … but then guess what? … Ferrer managed to cut down the deficit and drag the Scott back.
Just like the second set, the fourth one looked very tight, especially at a first sight. Ferrer pushed the set into tie-break for the second time. But once arrived there, the Spaniard lost the pace that helped him climb up there. Murray left him four points behind to win the tie-break, set and the match to two.
“The historical thing, it’s not something that I’ve thought about that much, but it’s something that obviously for me personally I want to try and win,” said the Scott who needed almost four hours to stun the Spaniard and reach the last term.
“I also don’t want to sort of get myself so amped up that I play a stinker of a match. I’m going to make the most of the opportunity, for sure. I’ll give 110 per cent. Sunday’s going to be very tough, but I’ve been very focused on just playing my opponent and not getting ahead of myself,” he added.
Said Ferrer: “I can’t do nothing more. I fought a lot. I tried my best game all the time, but Andy’s a very, very great player.” The Spanish player is to pocket $420,000, while Murray – who will next play Federer killer and the 2008 champion Novak Djokovic – has already secured a $1,100,000 check.
