Showing posts with label French Open Day 5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label French Open Day 5. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Easy progress for Murray
Andy Murray was given an easy ride into the French Open fourth round after opponent Janko Tipsarevic retired injured.
The Scot had just taken the second set to grab a 7/6 (7/3) 6-3 lead when Tipsarevic gestured the match was over, strode to the net and shook hands with his opponent on the Suzanne Lenglen court.
Murray therefore progresses to the last-16 stage for the first time at Roland Garros, where he will play 13th seed Marin Cilic.
The players started off in the baking heat and Murray struggled early on.
He was broken for the first time in the fifth game when he sliced a backhand into the net on the second on Tipsarevic's break points.
The Scot wasted two break-back opportunities in the next and then found himself 5-2 down when the Serbian flashed a forehand past him, after a poor Murray approach shot, to break again in game seven.
Tipsarevic then got sloppy as Murray broke and then held, forcing the Serb to serve out the set. He had two chances to do so but he wasted both of them, and a sloppy forehand long handed Murray another break to make it 5-5.
The pair were both then broken again to take the set it a tie-break.
Murray went 5-3 up and after Tipsarevic sent a backhand wide, Murray emerged triumphant from a lengthy rally on set point to take it 7-3.
Tipsarevic received treatment on his left thigh on the first changeover in the second set, after Murray had broken to go 1-0 up.
The Serb continued - and even went on to break back immediately - but it was clear he was not moving freely by that early stage.
The medics came out again after Tipsarevic had smashed a forehand wide to gift a second break to Murray.
The Scot was now full of confidence and was taking advantage of his opponent's lack of movement, a clever drop-shot putting him 4-2 up.
Tipsarevic, 24, was grimacing at the end of each rally and although he was refusing to give in, Murray was comfortably in charge.
Serving 3-5 down, the world number 24 saw a backhand flash past him to lose the set. He quit immediately, ushering Murray into round four.
Top seed Safina cruises through
Top seed Dinara Safina recovered from a testing start to race to a straight-sets victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round.
The world number one needed just 67 minutes to post a 6-2 6-0 victory on Court One, and will now play France's Aravane Rezai in round four.
Initially, Safina, who is yet to land a grand-slam title, was made to work much harder than in her opening two matches, against Anne Keothavong and Vitalia Diatchenko.
She got the key break of the first set in a marathon fourth game and grabbed another when Pavlyuchenkova sent a forehand wide to take it after 43 minutes.
Safina dabbed on the accelerator in the second set and lost just three points in the opening five games.
She was taken to deuce in what proved to be the final game, clinching victory on her fourth match point.
Safina has lost just four games all tournament.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)