Murray ready for Nadal test
THE FRENCH OPEN 2011
British ace confident his injured ankle will stand up to rigours of combatting Spain’s clay court supremo
BRITISH No1 Andy Murray admits he can’t afford any of the lapses in concentration which marred his progress to his first French Open semi-final if he is to get the better of reigning champion Rafael Nadal.
Murray was forced to display all of his battling qualities, and contend again with the side effects of his damaged ankle, in a tense three-set win over Argentine Juan Igancio Chela to book a place in the last four.
The Briton took just under three hours to dispense of Chela for the third straight year at Roland Garros, but the final scoreline of 7-6 (7-2), 7-5, 6-2 hardly illustrated just how far the 24-year-old, playing on Court Suzanne Lenglen for the third day in succession, was pushed.
“It was just very up and down,” Murray said. “The wind doesn’t help, but it was just a really scrappy match. I didn’t start particularly well and then got a little bit better, started moving a bit better towards the end of the first set.
“Then I got up in the second, sort of maybe lost concentration a little bit, which you can’t afford to do against someone like Juan who has a lot of experience on this surface. Something I definitely won’t get away with against Rafa.”
Asked about the state of the ankle injury he picked up against David Berrer in the third round, Murray added: “It’s definitely getting better with each day and playing a match on it. You gain confidence more with the movement each time you play.
“I still, at times, wasn’t moving great. I was moving a lot better forward today, sideways could still definitely be better, but I felt it a few times. Nothing major, but I just need in the next couple of days to do all the right things again. A lot of treatment, a lot of icing, and I’m sure it will get better.”
Nadal, meanwhile, believes he is peaking at the just the right time after advancing to the semi-finals at Soderling’s expense following a comprehensive 6-4, 6-1, 7-6 victory.
“I played better than I have on other days. I played a very good level and Robin maybe made more mistakes than usual,” said the Spaniard after completing victory over the only man to have beaten him in his last 44 matches at this event.
“I have to be playing better and better every day if I want to have chances to win the final and that’s what I’m going to try.”
Meanwhile, in the women’s draw Maria Sharapova stormed into the semi-finals with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Andrea Petkovic. Sharapova, the seventh seed, will meet Li Na, the Australian Open runner-up, in the last four after the Chinese star beat fourth seed Victoria Azarenka 7-5 6-2.
FRENCH OPEN | SEMI-FINAL LINE-UP
MEN’S DRAW
Roger Federer (Swi) [3] V
Novak Djokovic (Ser) [2]
*Tomorrow
Andy Murray (GB) [4] V
Rafael Nadal (Spa) [1]
*Tomorrow
WOMEN’S DRAW
Marion Bartoli (Fra) [11] V
Francesca Schiavone (Ita) [5]
*Today
Li Na (Ch) [6] V
Maria Sharapova (Rus) [7]
*Today