TENNIS – Andy Murray edged passed Fernando Verdasco 7-5 6-4 at the Aegon Championships at the Queen’s Club in London to get through to the quarterfinal where he will face Gilles Muller who beat defending champion Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 7-6(5) . Murray is bidding to win his 4th title at Queen’s Club. Diego Sampaolo
Murray scored his 11th win in 12 matches against Verdasco. In their previous match on grass, Murray had to rally from two sets down to beat the Spaniard in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2013.
Murray seized control of the 1st set after Verdasco double faulted twice in his opening service game giving the Scotsman break point opportunity. Murray then converted with a forehand winner. However, Verdasco broke back in the 7th game. However, at 6-5 Murray broke serve for the 2nd time and on his third set point, claimed the opening set.
Verdasco did not convert any of the 4 break points he had very early on in the 2nd set against Murray and soon came to regret this as he would never see another for the rest of the set. In the 10th game, serving to stay in the match, Verdasco again double faulted twice. Luck was not favouring Verdasco on this day as two aces he hit during this game were ruled as lets. Eventually, Verdasco was broken when he hit his backhand wide giving Murray the match 7-5 6-4.
Muller beat defending champion Dimitrov 6-4 7-6(5). Dimitrov double faulted at 5-4 in the 1st set and was broken handing Muller the set. Dimitrov fended off a break point at 2-1 in the 2nd set with a backhand winner down the line. That break in the 1st set would be the lone break of the entire match as both players remained on serve in the 2nd set.
In the pivotal tie-break, Muller double faulted for the 1st time and went down 0-3. The Luxembourger won 6 of the next 7 points bringing up match points with a searing forehand winner down the line for 6-4. Dimitrov saved the first match point with his serve but Muller converted his second opportunity with his forehand to qualify for the first time in his career for the quarterfinals at Queen’s.
Since winning this event last year Dimitrov has not reached a final since then.
“I don’t think I am playing bad tennis at the moment. I am just doing a lot of good things on the court which really don’t discourage me to play. It’s a tough loss for me but I give credit to Gilles”, said Dimitrov.
John Isner battled past last year’s finalist Feliciano Lopez in three tie-break sets with 7-6(5) 6-7(9) 7-6(4). The 1st set went on serve until the tie-break where Isner was the first to get the mini-break at 5-4 with a down-the line passing shot. He capitalised on this opportunity to take the set. In the 2nd set, Lopez earned a break point at 3-3 but was unable to convert and again a tie-break was needed to decide the set. After trading mini-breaks 4 times, Lopez got the decisive break for 10-9 with his backhand. The Spaniard served it out to level the match.
Breaking serve in this match became mission impossible as no one broken through 36 service games. In the final set tiebreaker, Isner got the early mini-break and closed out the breaker 7-4 points.
Viktor Troicki overcame Marin Cilic 6-7(8) 6-2 6-3 in a re-match of last week’s semifinal in Stuttgart where Troicki won in the tie-break of the 3rd set. Toicki will meet Isner in the quarterfinals. The winner of this match will face either Murray or Muller in the semifinals.
