Murray on course
for second straight
Djokovic Final
Rome: Britain’s Andy Murray remained on course for a second successive Masters
final with Serbia’s number one Novak Djokovic after both came through the
quarter-finals in Rome on Friday.
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Andy Murray during his Rome Open quarter-final against David
Goffin. |
Murray, who lost to Djokovic in the final at Madrid last week, had little
trouble overcoming Belgian David Goffin 6-1, 7-5 while Djokovic battled past a
determined Rafael Nadal to end the Spanish fifth seed’s hopes of an eighth title
in the Italian capital.
Murray, reaching the last four for only the second time after 2011, will go into
Sunday’s final if, as expected, he accounts for French lucky loser Lucas Pouille
in Saturday’s semi-final. Djokovic will meet Kei Nishikori after the Japanese
sixth seed swept Austrian Dominic Thiem, who had knocked out Roger Federer, 6-3,
7-5. Murray lost to Nadal in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters last
month and although defeated by Djokovic last week, he is feeling encouraged with
his steady improvement on the surface.
“I’m being rewarded now for the work I’ve put in on the surface,” said Murray.
“I didn’t necessarily expect to do well on these surfaces over the past couple
of years... but I deserve it, because I’ve worked hard for it.”
Between them, Nadal and Djokovic have won the last 11 titles in the Italian
capital, the Spaniard claiming his maiden win in 2005 only two years after Andre
Agassi’s last win in the ‘Eternal City’. But on Sunday it could be Djokovic, the
defending champion and tennis’s man of the moment, who will be looking to
continue his winning run at the Foro Italico after a gutsy 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) win
over Nadal. Finding an “extra gear” proved key as Djokovic took his winning
streak over Nadal to seven matches. The last time the Spaniard beat Djokovic was
in the final of Roland Garros in 2014.Admitting he had a slow start to both
sets, Djokovic said: “Towards the end of both sets I managed to find an extra
gear, to play with a little bit more purpose, and come up with some aggressive
play.
“I didn’t take the initiative first, I wanted to be more aggressive. But that’s
easier said than done.”
Pulsating Djokovic rallied from a break down in both sets to thwart Nadal in a
pulsating two hours and 25 minutes. He has now won 15 straight sets against
Nadal since the Spaniard prevailed in Paris two years ago, but Djokovic said it
was far from straightforward. |
