Wimbledon - Murray ready for Ferrero

Eurosport - Wed, 01 Jul 15:15:00 2009

A wily Spaniard stands in the way of Andy Murray at Wimbledon today.

Andy Murray of Britain returns the ball to Ernests Gulbis of Latvia during their match at Wimbledon REUTERS - 0

Murray faces former world number one - and former French Open champion - Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain for a place in the last four.

Murray, bidding to become Britain's first male champion since Fred Perry in 1936, needed five sets to get past Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round on Monday.

It was the latest ever finish to a Wimbledon match courtesy of the Centre Court's £80 million roof being rolled out for the first time.

"Ferrero is a very tough player on virtually all surfaces," said the Scotsman who won the pair's only previous meeting on grass in the semi-finals at Queen's this month.

"I played great at Queen's but if I play poorly on Wednesday there's a good chance I will lose.

"I believe I can win Wimbledon," added Murray. "That's not changed since the first match. But, like I said, I'm gonna have to play great tennis to do it."

Ferrero, now ranked at 70 in the world, was a quarter-finalist at SW19 in 2007 and is the first wildcard to reach the last eight since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.

That year, Ivanisevic famously won the title.

"I have a little bit more rhythm than that week (at Queen's). I have learned some things. I have to do my job, be aggressive all the time, because he likes to play at one level, and then change the rhythm very fast," said Ferrero.

If Murray gets to the semi-finals, then either 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt or two-time runner-up Andy Roddick will be waiting for him.

Hewitt, the only Australian in the draw, insists he has nothing to fear from the sixth seed after staging his fifth career comeback from two sets to love down to beat Czech 23rd seed Radek Stepanek 4-6 2-6 6-1 6-2 6-2.

That victory, and his second round triumph over fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro, have given the 28-year-old a huge boost following last year's hip surgery.

Hewitt felt he had the better of Roddick at Queen's earlier this month when he lost in the third round in two tiebreaks.

"Queen's was only one or two points. I felt like I had the better of him in the actual service games that we were playing," Hewitt said.

Hewitt has won six of the pair's 11 meetings, but the American has won the last four, a run stretching back over four years.

"It doesn't get any easier from here. I have loads of respect for Lleyton and what he's been able to accomplish," said Roddick who made the quarter-finals with a straight sets win over Czech Tomas Berdych.

AFP

Comment 109 - 128 of 168

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  1. You have millions and millions of more people than­ scotland, of course you will have a better football­ league, but yet we invented more things than you ever­ did

    From Lex, on Wed 1 Jul 12:49PM

  2. ROGER FEDERER WIIL WIN ;ANDREW MURRAY WILL LOSE BECAUSE­ HE LIKES TO PLAYFUL

    From wairin, on Wed 1 Jul 12:49PM

  3. Had this horrible taxi driver yesterday, I asked him if­ he was watching and murray play, he responded with­ "Aye, anything to beat the english *****, I was­ shocked, I told him my dad was English and He was cool,­ and I said I liked english people that were normal, he­ then replied " I am racist and I hate all english­ people and coloured people"
    I responded with this­ " I only hate racists and idiots like you"­ ..

    I then asked him to stop the car, I got out and ran­ round the corner and didnt pay the fare, It goes to­ show some people just like to hate anything for any­ reason, basically their lives must be very very @#$%­ and their parents didn't love them enough or­ show/teach them compassion.

    Sorry for the random story­ but it goes to show that some people have really @#$%­ lives and the only thing that can make them feel good­ is to try and put others down for whatever reason !!
    I­ just hope the taxi driver doesn't ever see me­ again, it was £15 for the fare lol !!

    I hope murray­ keeps his cool and wins this match tonight, I know he­ will beat Federer and I think Federer is scared.

    From Lex, on Wed 1 Jul 12:48PM

  4. At least we have a proper football league, not a fizzy­ pop spl dominated by the same 2 clubs year after­ year.
    All Rangers and Celtic have to do is turn up to­ get into Europe. They wouldn't last 5 minutes in­ the Premier - fact.
    When was the last time the Scots­ won a European or World football trophy?

    From malcolm, on Wed 1 Jul 12:44PM

  5. dear inverkenny ...id share a pint with u anyday ha ha­ all light hearted stuff eh i hope murray wins,and by­ the way ru a green or blue?

    From deesydave, on Wed 1 Jul 12:41PM

  6. Apparently there are some attractive sheep and goats in­ the mountains! lol.

    From malcolm, on Wed 1 Jul 12:39PM

  7. foeyp couldnt batter a sausage

    From the silent assassin, on Wed 1 Jul 12:37PM

  8. have to go, some great pubs up here in the mountains,­ maybe go to the bonnie Black Isle for lunch and watch­ the dolphins, or maybe i'll just go to Loch Ness­ for lunch, and watch out for the beastie, enjoy surrey.

    From inverkenny, on Wed 1 Jul 12:36PM

  9. ALL TENNIS MATCHES ON INTERNET: AUSTRALIAN OPEN,­ WIMBLEDON, ROLAND GARROS, US OPEN, , DAVIS CUP , FED­ CUP, ATP INTERNATIONAL SERIES, MASTERS SERIES, ATP­ CHALLENGER SERIES, ATP FUTURES SERIES AND MUCH MORE

    From WWW.PREMIERSHIP.ALTERVISTA.ORG, on Wed 1 Jul 12:35PM

  10. I hope Murray gets thrashed, it has nothing to do with­ him being Scottish or in response to Scots generally­ wishing the same thing on any English team regardless­ of what sport, its just I dont like the guy - as the­ Telegraph put it hes a "fairly uninspiring­ personality"

    From mark t, on Wed 1 Jul 12:34PM

  11. Are these MUPPETS still going on about how football­ fans should support their rivals HAHAHAHA LOSERS
    Is­ that all you have to show your racist jealousy ?

    Dum­ dum dum, support my team (your rivals) or I will cry,­ and i hate scottish people for inventing more things­ than any other country ever, little noobs !!

    Scotland­ rocks, Britain rocks.

    I am proud to be both, and I­ love the English (the normal educated ones, and the­ normal scottish ones) and the rest of the british­ Isles, In fact I love everyone that isn't a racist­ muppet baby

    From Lex, on Wed 1 Jul 12:33PM

  12. i do have a sword and shield but would rather share a­ pint.

    From inverkenny, on Wed 1 Jul 12:32PM

  13. we were watching and laughing our heads off, nothing­ better than watching the "we won the war"­ brigade getting a doing again from those nasty Germans.

    From inverkenny, on Wed 1 Jul 12:32PM

  14. I do hope Federer wins today.

    From Peter, on Wed 1 Jul 12:31PM

  15. INVERKENNY....I KNOW WHERE YOUR FOOTBALL TEAM WAS THEY­ WHERE IN THE MOUNTAINS WERNT THEY..RUNNING UP AND DOWN­ THE GLENS LOOKING FOR A CUP TO BE PROUD OF..MAYBE THEY­ SHOULD TRY THERE LOCAL CHARITY SHOP IM SURE THERE WILL­ BE SUMAT THERE FOR THEM.

    From deesydave, on Wed 1 Jul 12:29PM

  16. 112...AT LEST WE GOT THERE JOCK...WERE WHERE YOU HA HA

    From deesydave, on Wed 1 Jul 12:25PM

  17. post 111, dont be too @#$% yourself.

    From inverkenny, on Wed 1 Jul 12:23PM

  18. COMMENT 111... BET U WUDNT

    From deesydave, on Wed 1 Jul 12:23PM

  19. have i offended anyone here? sorry but facts are facts,­ there are no english at wimbledon, and yes i'd­ rather live in the mountains, what is peoples problem­ with that? oh and Germany did you again, 4-0, sorry,­ just a fact.

    From inverkenny, on Wed 1 Jul 12:22PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I'd batter anyone who posts on ere

    From FoeyP, on Wed 1 Jul 12:19PM
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