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Andy Murray clinched a straight-sets victory over Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5 6-3 6-2 to seal a place in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the first time.

The Brit was imperious on Centre Court, dispatching the Spaniard comprehensively to set up an encounter with Andy Roddick on Friday.

Murray broke at the death in the opening set to take control of the match, but was presented with a few difficulties in the second, before responding with real character to hit back.

The third and final set was a breeze for the world number three, who cruised through with two breaks of serve to complete a commanding victory.

Murray is the first Britain since Tim Henman in 2002 to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon, having only previously progressed to this stage of a Grand Slam once before at last year's US Open.

The first set was a tight affair, with neither player affording their opponent cheap points, and each battling with a great deal of resilience.

Murray seized the initiative at the final opportunity in the set, with the tie-break looming, and broke the Spaniard to take the ascendency.

A stunning forehand winner cross court presented a break point at 30-40, but he squandered the opportunity with a wayward backhand. But he repeated the feat to set up another chance, and this time the Spaniard erred with a poor backhand.

If the Brit was slightly complacent at the start of the second set, Ferrero was eager to capitalise, and broke Murray in the opening game.

The third seed was hesitant, and committed two unforced errors to enable the Spaniard to get a foothold back in the match.

Murray attempted unsuccessfully to overturn a line call at the start of the game, before Ferrero clipped a delightful forehand cross court to establish two break points on the Brit's serve.

Murray delivered a huge 132mph serve to save the first, but planted a backhand into the net to hand Ferrero the early advantage.

The set looked to be drifting away from Murray, but the Scot rallied - not for the first time in this championships - to wrestle it back in his favour.

Murray won 20 of the final 23 points in the second set, in a burst of dominance which left Ferrero shaking his head in frustration.

Murray pounced on some hesitant serving from Ferrero in the sixth game of the set, with the Spaniard allowing his level drop notably. The Brit raced to 0-40 with a powerful forehand winner down the line, and regained parity in the set with his first chance.

Ferrero appeared taken aback by the force of Murray's rejuvenation, and the Brit established another three break points. The Spaniard lashed a backhand wide to slip further behind, and the end was in sight.

The third seed closed out the set with a composed service hold, and further stretched his lead over an increasingly despondent Ferrero.

The third set was evenly poised until the fifth game, when once again Murray found another gear to leave his opponent helpless.

Murray forced two break points on Ferrero's serve and, although he struck an overhit forehand with his first opportunity, and his opponent continued to play the percentages, the Brit capitalised on the second to continue his incredible momentum.

The Spaniard could do little to quell Murray's surge towards the semi-finals, and the match ended abruptly with an emphatic service hold after a second break in the seventh game.

Murray will now await his clash with Roddick, secure in the knowledge that on this form, it will take a special performance from the American to prevent him reaching the final.

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Defending champion Laura Robson showed her impressive battling spirit but slipped to a 6-2 4-6 8-6 loss to unseeded Quirine Lemoine of the Netherlands.

Robson struggled throughout the match with a back injury but refused to give up coming back from a set down and twice recovering from a break down in the final set.

The 15-year-old, seeded second at this year's championships, made a nervy start to the match and dropped served twice before calling the trainer to treat a back injury.

Although Robson did break back, after a lengthy injury timeout on her lower back, things went from bad to worse for the Brit as she was broken again in the seventh game before Lemoine sealed the first set.

But despite receiving treatment to her back during another two changes of ends and being forced to take a painkiller, Robson showed no signs of retiring from the match and even battled back to level the clash at one set all by breaking in the 10th game with a blistering forehand return of serve.

After trading breaks at the start of the third set, Lemoine looked to be easing towards victory when she broke again in the seventh game after a Robson forehand down the line drifted wide.

Robson was then forced to save three match points in the ninth game but did so with an ace and two Lemoine errors before getting things back on level terms in the very next game with a forehand return of serve winner securing a break back.

But the Dutch player, two years Robson's senior at 17-years-old, stepped her play up a level and broke to love in the 13th game of the set when Robson hit long.

Lemoine then wrapped up the match with an ace on her fifth match point in the next game to knock defending champion Robson out of the tournament.

Robson, due to play along side American Sloane Stephens later in the day, was then forced to withdraw from the girls' doubles with the back injury.

Dan Quarrell & Pippa Davis / Eurosport