LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times BST)
To get involved, please use
606,
Twitter
or text us your views & comments on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (worldwide). (Not all contributions can be used. Messages will be charged at your standard operator rate)
|
By Piers Newbery
|
|
|
It's not the most convincing way to serve out a set but Ferrer gets there in the end, recovering from 0-30 and sealing it with a drop shot that Murray cannot make. Oh, and pottiella, I caught the last set of Gulbis and enjoyed it a lot. He's got a good enough game to threaten the top 10 but not sure if he's got the right mindset - he seems like a very nice bloke though. And that's what counts.
* Denotes NEXT server
Murray 3-5 Ferrer *
Apparently, Murray doesn't think his first-serve percentage is a big deal. Fair enough, but it can't help against a returner like Ferrer to be making around 30%. It's a bit like Ronnie O'Sullivan saying his form is "pathetic" after he knocks in back-to-back centuries. Federer, Messi, O'Sullivan.. not been a good week for sporting geniuses. Anyway, Murray does well to recover from facing two set points at 15-40 and forces Ferrer to serve it out.
* Denotes NEXT server
Apparently, Murray doesn't think his first-serve percentage is a big deal. Fair enough, but it can't help against a returner like Ferrer to be making around 30%. It's a bit like Ronnie O'Sullivan saying his form is "pathetic" after he knocks in back-to-back centuries. Federer, Messi, O'Sullivan.. not been a good week for sporting geniuses. Anyway, Murray does well to recover from facing two set points at 15-40 and forces Ferrer to serve it out.
* Denotes NEXT server
* Murray 2-5 Ferrer
There's a reason why Ferrer has slipped from number four in the world a few years ago to number 17 now, and unforced errors do not help. Murray plays a nice sliced backhand down the line but the Spaniard fails to deal with it. Murray earns himself a couple of break-back points but, credit to Ferrer, he battles through to get a game point. Murray comes up with an extraordinary scrambled backhand when the point appears to be done and dusted, but then swipes a high forehand well wide and it's game Ferrer. Turns out Murray had a broken string in that finally rally, so can't blame him for the miss.
* Denotes NEXT server
There's a reason why Ferrer has slipped from number four in the world a few years ago to number 17 now, and unforced errors do not help. Murray plays a nice sliced backhand down the line but the Spaniard fails to deal with it. Murray earns himself a couple of break-back points but, credit to Ferrer, he battles through to get a game point. Murray comes up with an extraordinary scrambled backhand when the point appears to be done and dusted, but then swipes a high forehand well wide and it's game Ferrer. Turns out Murray had a broken string in that finally rally, so can't blame him for the miss.
* Denotes NEXT server
pottiella on 606:
"Evenin Piers - did you catch any of the previous match, and if so, what do you make of the new and improved gulbis? Ferrer moving Andy about from side to side as expected..."
Murray 2-4 Ferrer *
Ferrer opens the game with a great volley - that's right, a volley - and Murray then fails to control a forehand after chasing down a drop shot. The Briton is making a pretty dire 27% of first serves and Ferrer naturally attacks the second serve to make it 15-40 and two break points.... and Murray nets a forehand. The Spaniard has slowly but surely taken control here.
* Denotes NEXT server
Ferrer opens the game with a great volley - that's right, a volley - and Murray then fails to control a forehand after chasing down a drop shot. The Briton is making a pretty dire 27% of first serves and Ferrer naturally attacks the second serve to make it 15-40 and two break points.... and Murray nets a forehand. The Spaniard has slowly but surely taken control here.
* Denotes NEXT server
* Murray 2-3 Ferrer
Murray gets a sniff of a chance with some trademark defensive excellence taking him to 30-30 but Ferrer hangs on.
* Denotes NEXT server
Murray gets a sniff of a chance with some trademark defensive excellence taking him to 30-30 but Ferrer hangs on.
* Denotes NEXT server
Murray 2-2 Ferrer *
Ferrer's radar goes off for a couple of minutes and three successive errors hand Murray the game. Just to complete the picture for today, Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco have also made it to the quarters, while Rafael Nadal takes on Victor Hanescu in the late match. Good luck with that, Victor.
* Denotes NEXT server
Ferrer's radar goes off for a couple of minutes and three successive errors hand Murray the game. Just to complete the picture for today, Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco have also made it to the quarters, while Rafael Nadal takes on Victor Hanescu in the late match. Good luck with that, Victor.
* Denotes NEXT server
* Murray 1-2 Ferrer
There's some heavy hitting from both men and it's likely to be a punishing evening for Murray if he is to get through. Ferrer holds serve to love. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga awaits the winner, while Ivan Ljubicic could not even make it through the warm-up for his match against Feliciano Lopez because of a back problem. I feel your pain, Ljubo.
* Denotes NEXT server
There's some heavy hitting from both men and it's likely to be a punishing evening for Murray if he is to get through. Ferrer holds serve to love. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga awaits the winner, while Ivan Ljubicic could not even make it through the warm-up for his match against Feliciano Lopez because of a back problem. I feel your pain, Ljubo.
* Denotes NEXT server
Murray 1-1 Ferrer *
Murray levels it up but only after Ferrer sends one scorching forehand return past him. A warning, if the Scot needed it. Not much atmosphere at the moment as most of the crowd has gone for a bit of a breather after the previous match.
* Denotes NEXT server
Murray levels it up but only after Ferrer sends one scorching forehand return past him. A warning, if the Scot needed it. Not much atmosphere at the moment as most of the crowd has gone for a bit of a breather after the previous match.
* Denotes NEXT server
* Murray 0-1 Ferrer
A beautiful drop shot and a sharp forehand pass suggest Murray is in good nick early on, but Ferrer recovers to take the opening game with a big forehand down the line.
* Denotes NEXT server
A beautiful drop shot and a sharp forehand pass suggest Murray is in good nick early on, but Ferrer recovers to take the opening game with a big forehand down the line.
* Denotes NEXT server
1701: Murray and Ferrer have met only twice before, both times back in 2006, with Murray winning on Toronto's hard courts and Ferrer on clay in Barcelona. The 28-year-old Spaniard has been in good form recently, reaching the semis in Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Murray has not been so hot, but he got back to winning ways against Andreas Seppi in Rome. Ferrer is more of a hard-courts man than clay but you can always guarantee 100% effort from the world number 17. However, he did play an evening match yesterday so he might not be at his freshest. He's also a big Barcelona fan. No-one mention Jose. Ferrer to serve...
1655: Afternoon all. Andy Murray and David Ferrer are about to get under way at the Foro Italico, with a Rome Masters quarter-final place at stake. It's a little later than expected because Ernests Gulbis - conqueror of Roger Federer in round two - has just spent the best part of three hours winning more friends in Rome by seeing off local boy Filippo Volandri.
5 live's Jonathan Overend via Twitter:
"Ciao Roma - Last 16 Day! Tournie hots up... can AM beat Ferrer? Course he can! David isn't as much a dirt specialist as some of his chums."
No comments:
Post a Comment