At last, Andy Murray has rediscovered some quality tennis, beating Milos Raonic 6-2, 6-0 in only 66 minutes to reach his third semi-final at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The Scot will now meet the similarly rejuvenated Rafa Nadal who swept aside the French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4 on Friday.
It was little more than a training hit for Murray as the Canadian world No12, apparently injured, lumbered and sweated to little effect. But, as Anthony Joshua reminded boxing fans when winning a version of the world heavyweight title last weekend against a sub-standard opponent, you can do no more than beat who is in front of you.
Murray said courtside: “The last two matches I got to play a lot of tennis. Maybe not the best quality but you do get the opportunity to learn from your mistakes.”
The last time they met, Raonic hobbled away from the Australian Open semi-finals after blowing a two sets to one lead, and retreated from the Tour to mend an adductor muscle injury. On Thursday, he complained of a leg strain after hunting down a drop shot in his three-set struggle against the talented qualifier Damir Dzumhur, and on Friday he moved with all the agility of a shot elephant as Murray teased him with balls short, long and wide.
The opening had something of a contest about it as Murray took a while to settle in but, once he had broken on the quarter-hour mark for a 3-1 lead, the match was pretty much in his pocket.
Raonic had a decent run on his own serve, holding to love for 2-4, but could not get on the board after that. He saved set point in the seventh game but Murray broke again to take the set, and then set about finishing him off in the second.
The Canadian, who has worked on his agility over the past year or so and has developed a sound attacking game, rushed the net without discretion and was continually punished as Murray peppered the flanks.
Murray held two match points on Raonic’s serve and completed the task with a deep backhand that his opponent could do no more than tap into the clay.
There were glimpses of the formidable Nadal of old as the eight-times champion trampled over Wawrinka to put him on track for his first title of the year. The Spaniard set a tournament record of 46 wins in a row in the principality from 2005 to 2013 when he finished runner-up.
