Murray Rolls Into Shenzhen Semis

September 26, 2014 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden

Andy Murray rolled into the semifinals of the Shenzhen Open on Friday, disposing of Lukas Lacko 6-3, 7-5 to reach the tournament’s final four. He saved four break points to beat the Slovakian in 80 minutes.

The Scot has yet to be back in a final since he captured the Wimbledon crown in 2013. He said he took the Wild Card into this tournament in order to build up his point total in hopes of sliding into the top eight and qualify for the end of the year finals in London.

In addition to the four break points he saved, the 11th-ranked Murray ripped nine aces and won two break points to notch the straight-set victory.

“I was a little bit frustrated at the start of the second set because I had chances to break and didn’t take them,” said Murray. “It allowed him to get back into the match. He started olaying better, was creating some chances. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, when I have chances to get myself ahead, I can do that a bit better.”

He will have an opportunity to do better when he takes on Juan Monaco in the semis. The Argentinean upended third-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 7-6(7), 6-4 to make it into the final four.

The former top 10 player won two break points and hit four aces to move past Gasquet in an hour and 43 minutes.

The other semifinal will pit fourth-seeded Tommy Robredo against sixth-seeded Santiago Giraldo.

Robredo took out eight-seeded Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-795), 6-3 in a match that lasted more than two and a half hours. He fired 19 aces to outlast the Italian in three-sets.

Giraldo was able to move past Serbia’s Viktor Troicki 7-6(6), 6-3 to advance. The Colombian broke serve twice to reach his fourth-semifinal of the year. 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
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