Filed under: Tennis
Andy Murray showed his class to dispose of Richard Gasquet and reach the last eight at Wimbledon.The Scot triumphed 7-6 6-3 6-2 against the French number two and now faces an unseeded opponent in the quarter finals - Spain's Feliciano Lopez, who defeated qualifier Lukasz Kubot of Poland in an epic five-setter.
Gasquet had his moments but ultimately lacked the steel necessary to take even a set off the home favourite.
The Scot famously battled back from two sets and a break down at Wimbledon in 2008 to defeat the Frenchman, who was a child prodigy in his homeland as well as falling foul of a cocaine scandal in 2009.
Gasquet, this year's number 17 seed, also reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2007 on his way to his highest ever ranking of seven but he had no answer to Murray's all-round superiority.
COMPETITION: Win a HEAD Tennis Racquet Signed By Andy Murray
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - or Wills and Kate if you prefer - watched from the shade of the Royal Box, Murray made his usual tentative start in decidedly un-Scottish conditions.
The number four seed had to save a break point in only the second game but held that with a delightful drop shot.
Murray was the victim of two wrong calls that, had he challenged them, would have been overturned by Hawkeye but when he did eventually decide to use one, the technology ruled a Gasquet drop shot had indeed been just in.
The Scot misjudged another challenge as Gasquet held serve to love to lead 5-4. That heaped the pressure on the home favourite, especially as the Frenchman had been coming in to attack Murray's second serves, but once again there was no break.
Gasquet had another go after another service hold to love and almost pulled it off with his top-quality backhand but Murray held firm and the first set was destined to be decided on a tie-break.
Murray led 4-2 at the change and then came out on top in a lengthy rally to move 5-3 ahead before sealing it 7-3. It was the first time Gasquet had dropped a set in the competition.
It was a psychological blow to the Frenchman, who needed seven minutes to hold his first serve on resumption, but he recovered his poise to make sure the second set resembled the first.
Suddenly a backhand cross court winner gave Murray a break point and when Gasquet hit the next point long the Scot was 5-3 up and serving for the set.
Gasquet looked crestfallen and unsuccessfully challenged an ace before bowing to the inevitable as Murray took a two-set lead.
The Scot was full of confidence and fluidity now but Gasquet was determined to keep on fighting and won his next two service games before Murray showed his class again in the fifth game.
A superb cross court pass was followed by another of equal quality and the Scot once again had the break he desired, having began the game with a successful challenge.
Murray then pressed home that advantage to lead 4-2 and then broke his beaten opponent once again.
He then saved a break point to serve out and clinch the match in straight sets on a day when the temperature would have made a five-setter a gruelling experience.
Murray's match with Lopez is sure to have his mum's Judy's heart a-flutter as he has complained jokingly that she fancies the Latin heart-throb.
Lopez's only concern right now will be to get some rest however as Kubot almost knocked him out, with the Spaniard saving two match points in a third set tie-break to win 3-6 6-7 7-6 7-5 7-5.
REACTION:
Murray was delighted to have won in straight sets on such a hot day.
"Obviously conditions were very warm today so you try to get on top of your opponent early. I managed to get a break early in the second set and didn't give up too many break point opportunities.
"I train a lot in Miami to get used to these conditions but the problem was the it hasn't been like this at all in the last two or three months I have been playing. In the French Open it wasn't warm and also Queen's. The first week here was pretty cold too so it takes a bit of getting used to.
"I'm happy to get off, it was nice to be on first today - hopefully there will be some thunderstorms later."
Will he need to get better though?
"I definitely returned better and was happy with my slice and my serve today but I do need to improve. Some of the best players ever are still in the tournament so if I want to beat them then I'm going to have to play great tennis."
And did he enjoy performing in front of royalty?
"It was nice. I didn't actually know until I was walking off the practice court and someone from the Evening Standard said to me that they were coming. It's great for tennis for royalty to come along as it doesn't happen that often. I enjoyed it."
Ah but did he practice his bow before he went on court?
"I didn't because I didn't know if my source was winding me up."
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