| Nationality | Player | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Set 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A Murray | 7 | 4 | 3 | - | - | |
| M Gicquel | 6 | 6 | 0 | A | - |
- -
AND GICQUEL HAS WITHDRAWN - the thigh injury he got near the end of the second set has obviously been his undoing although he did manage to win the second set despite the injury. Andy Murray will face Mario Ancic in the semi-finals.
3-0 -
Murray plays four stunning points in a row to turn a 30-0 deficit into a break - he looked to move to the middle of the court at every opportunity and then clinched the game with a return backhand winner down the line - his best little spell of the match and he now has a double break.
2-0 - Murray wins a high quality game with a hold to 30 - simply stunning defence on the final point before he digs out a cross court winner he had no right to get.
1-0 -
MURRAY BREAKS - first game of the third set. Gicquel puts a poor backhand into the net to bring up the break point and then a superb lob sets Murray up in the next point. Gicquel plays an under-the-legs shot to keep the rally alive but Murray polishes things off at the net.
4-6 -
GICQUEL BREAKS AND TAKES THE SET - two superb overheads in that game helped him earn a break point and he only needed one as a long rally ends when Murray completely mis-hits one shot. We are going to a third set after the first break of serve in the match.
4=5 - Gicquel then goes on to take the game to 30 with an unreturnable serve clinching the game. Murray will look to exploit the injury though and get the Frenchman moving.
4-4 - Gicquel calls for the trainer after the very first point of the game - he gets his thigh bandaged but Murray is not happy and at one stage it looked like he was going to walk off the court. We are back underway though.
4-4 - Gicquel cannot deal with the first two Murray serves - the second a brilliant ace - but comes back with a superb passing shot to end the following rally. Murray can play those shots too though and does so to close out the hold.
3-4 - 40-15 down Murray gets a little luck with a net-chord and then Gicquel is just off with a drop volley which falls into the net. That brings us to 40-40 but again Gicquel fires two bombs to hold.
3-3 - Gicquel again gets to 30-30 but can't get in either of the next two point as Murray manages another hold. Still no breaks of serve in this match. I can not tell a lie - it is very dull.
2-3 - Big serving from Gicquel helps him to hold to 30 once again. The Frenchman has been pretty untouchable whenever he has got his first serve in. He has dropped just four points from 35 in such circumstances and one was in that last game.
2-2 - Murray fires an ace down the T to hold to 15 - his seventh ace of the match.
1-2 - Massive hold by Gicquel who saved four break points in the game after having gone 15-40 down. He produced some really big serves when the pressure was on - Murray screams with frustration as the game finishes.
1-1 - Murray double faults to give Gicquel the first break point of the match so far but he saves it with an ace - he then manages to labour his way to another hold but again far from impressive from Murray.
0-1 - Gicquel doesn't let disappointing of losing the breaker affect him one bit as he holds to love to open the second set.
7-6 -
And he takes it on his first set point - the breaker goes his way 7-2 - just like yesterday against Seppi he upped his game in the tie-break, played a little bit more aggressively, and got his reward.
TB5-1 - Murray in complete control of the this breaker as he goes 5-1 up at the changeover.
6-6 -
Murray opens the game with a great winner and has another before the game is over but Gicquel is showing that he is made of strong stuff and wraps up a game to 30 with an ace. We move to a tie-break.
6-5 - Pretty tedious stuff this - Gicquel goes wide with a shot down the line which sees Murray again hold to love - this has all the makings of a tie-breaker now although Gicquel could feel the pressure in this next game.
5-5 - Blink and you would miss it - Gicquel bangs out a quick service game as he continues to make Murray work for this.
4-5 - Gicquel finally makes some inroads on Murray as he get to deuce but we are still without even so much as a break point at either end as Murray finds the points he needs. Still lacking a spark this match.
4-4 - Big serve finished off by forehand in the middle of the court wraps up another text book hold to 15 for Gicquel.
4-3 - Murray struggles to get his first serve in but excellent second serves helps him hold to 15 again. He pings a forehand down the line to win the game.
3-3 - The crowd warming to Gicquel as he remains the aggressive player and he holds again to 15. He showed he can defend too though as he stays alive in the final point before Murray goes wide with a cross court backhand.
3-2 - Excellent defensive play on a hold to love for Murray not least on the last point when it looked as if Gicquel was in charge. Murray stayed alive though and then won the game with a cross court winner with the Frenchman caught out at the net.
2-2 - Comfortable hold to love for Gicquel sees him restore parity and again Murray is looking a little flat in these early stages.
2-1 - Murray finally shows some big shots - a sweet forehand winner makes it 40-15 and then he shifts the ball well around the court next point before finishing things off at the net.
1-1 - Gicquel to being the more aggressive player earlier on - it is leading to either winners or errors - he gets the balance right in this service game though and holds to 30.
1-0 - Murray fires a poor shot into the net with his first point but then wins four in a row by just keeping the ball in play and forcing Gicquel to make errors. Conservative but effective.
0-0 -
Murray serving in this opening game.
- - This is the first meeting between the two players and a semi-final with Mario Ancic awaits the winner.
- - Murray was a little sluggish in a 7-6 7-5 win over Andreas Seppi yesterday but he still got the win and his defeat to Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open remains his only defeat this year. He is the second seed here after Rafael Nadal.
- -
Both players on court warming up now - Gicquel is a bit of a late bloomer - he is 31 now but enjoyed his best ever world ranking of 37 just last September - he has since slipped to 55 though.
- -
Welcome to our LIVE comments of Andy Murray's quarter-final clash with Marc Gicquel here in Rotterdam.
| Nationality | FRA |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 30/03/1977 |
| Height | 1.87 m |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Nationality | GBR |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 15/05/1987 |
| Height | 1.91 m |
| Weight | 84 kg |
Comment 1 - 6 of 26
proud of what? i can't understand why you could be proud just by someone from the same country or kingdom as you playing tennis? did you coach him as a junior? are you a blood relation? have you teased him off to release the pre-match tension. get a grip.
COME ON ANDY ANOTHER TITLE WHOS WITH ME
go on andy make us proud
I like what it says about Murray's weight. I know he's not exactly the biggest player on tour, but I'm pretty sure he weighs more than 84grams! I think Murray's work on his fitness has done him a whole world of good. Since this time last year, he's put on over 20kg in pure muscle and as a result, he's faster, more powerful and is arguably now one of the fittest players on tour. And it's given the British press something to photograph, which makes up for his frankly quite boring off-court persona. But of course, no one cares about all that if he can produce the goods on court!
I had no interest in watching the games at- present....I- found a hot place, you guys should try it- ___W ealthy finder co m_____a great place for rich- people to meet- their soul mates....
Come one Andy. Lets see you get to the final against nadal. This can be viewed on atdhe_dot_net for those interested in watching it online.
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account