Tennis: Murray Into Last Eight on Day of Breakthroughs

Dave James

London. Andy Murray on Tuesday reached a fifth successive Wimbledon quarterfinal where he will meet Spanish bulldozer David Ferrer who has made the last eight for the first time at the 10th attempt.

British fourth seed Murray beat Croatian 16th seed Marin Cilic 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 as organizers scrambled to make up for lost time caused by heavy rain.

He will now attempt to go on to a fourth All England Club semifinal on the trot, but will first have to get past seventh-seeded Ferrer who put out former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.

Also making the quarterfinals were Florian Mayer and Philipp Kohlschreiber.

It’s the first time since Wimbledon in 1997 that two German men have made the last eight of a Grand Slam.

Mayer, the 31st seed, defeated Richard Gasquet of France, 6-3, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 in another match which was held over from Monday.

For 27th-seeded Kohlschreiber, it was a particularly memorable day as he reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 33rd attempt by clinching a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 win over American qualifier Brian Baker.

Murray had led Queen’s Club winner Cilic, against whom he was defending a 5-1 career record, 7-5, 3-1 overnight when play was suspended due to Monday’s downpours.

They played two games Tuesday before more rain sent them off Court One for an hour.

But on the resumption, the Scot was rarely troubled as Cilic struggled with his opponent and the damp, chilly conditions.

Murray was playing his last-16 tie against a background of controversy after it was suggested that, as the country’s best hope for a finalist since Bunny Austin in 1938, he should play all his matches on Center Court.

“I honestly don’t care which court I play on. It makes no difference but obviously every player would rather be on Center Court because you know you are going to get your match in regardless of the weather,” Murray said.

“I don’t think I deserve to play every match on Center Court. It’s just annoying when the weather is bad.

“I haven’t always dealt with rain delays that well in the past, so it’s good experience for me. Probably from now on I will play on Center so it won’t be a problem.”

Only three of the scheduled last 16 men’s ties had been completed on Monday with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Mikhail Youzhny able to enjoy a day off before Wednesday’s quarterfinals.

Federer will play Youzhny looking for a 14th win in 14 matches against the Russian.

Defending champion Djokovic will tackle Mayer, who has reached the quarterfinals for the second time, eight years after his first appearance, with his victory over Gasquet.

It was Mayer’s first win over 2007 semifinalist Gasquet since 2004 and was sweet revenge for losing a Davis Cup quarterfinal rubber to the French player in 2011 after being two sets to love ahead.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. Eight years ago I was here in the quarters, and now eight years later it’s happened again. So it’s a wonderful dream for me,” said Mayer.

Ferrer never got the chance to start his match on Monday, but the 30-year-old, now carrying Spain’s hopes after the shock elimination of Rafael Nadal, wasted no time against ninth seed Del Potro, racing home beneath the Center Court roof in under two hours.

Del Potro, who had also made the last 16 in 2011, was undone by 20 unforced errors compared to Ferrer’s more conservative eight.

“Of course I prefer Rafael or another Spaniard here with me because I am only with my team,” said Ferrer, who is tied 5-5 in career meetings with Murray.

Kohlschreiber, who will face either French fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or US 10th seed Mardy Fish in the last eight, fired 23 aces.

Agence France-Presse