That’s all from me. Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your Friday!
Murray beats Muller 3-6, 7-6, 6-4
Murray wins the first two points, each one resulting in a more triumphant fistpump, and although Muller pulls it back to 30-15 the Scot produces another delightful drop shot to earn two match points. He only requires one and after a nervous opening set, the three-times champion is into tomorrow’s semi-final.
Third set: Murray 5-4 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller misses what appeared an relatively simple volley to give Murray a break point. Muller does get to deuce with an ace and then aces again before closing out the game. Murray will serve for the match …
Third set: Murray* 5-3 Muller (*denotes server): Zoom! Whoosh! And various other noises associated with old superheroes on TV! Muller just cannot find a way to take a point off Murray’s serve, nevermind break him.
Third set: Murray 4-3 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller keeps in touch, dropping only one point en route to another service game.
Third set: Murray* 4-2 Muller (*denotes server): … unlike Murray, who grunts ‘fuck it’, when his first serve fails to land. He wins the point on his second serve, though, and makes it 40-0 sharpish with Muller unable to return. At 40-15 some buffoon in the crowd shouts ‘come on Andy, concentrate’. Murray shuts him up by winning the point and therefore the game.
Third set: Murray 3-2 Muller* (*denotes server): Having started this set with a bit of a lull, Muller improves and his service game returns to an emphatic level. There’s an annoying helicopter floating above the court. If I was the sweary sort, I’d issue a profanity in its direction. But of course I would never use a bad word. Ever …
Third set: Murray* 3-1 Muller (*denotes server): Very easy for Murray. And José Mourinho, sat in the crowd, nods with approval.
Meanwhile, an email:
Dear Alan,
Joined in late, just finished catching up. John Inverdale’s theory intrigues me. I dare say it’s a rather daring one ... scratch that: it’s almost certainly complete nonsense. Luxembourg is a rather small country, but still... And yet - did he perchance happen to mention who - according to him - are the three Luxembourgers preceding Gilles Muller on that list of his?
Best regards,
Jean Beurlet
P.S.: Yeah, I’m a Luxembourger.
To be honest, I have forgotten the non-sporting ones, though the list did include Andy Schleck at No2.
First Eggheads was cancelled, now Beat the Brain has gone off the schedule! Poor start to the weekend for non-tennis fans!
Third set: Murray 2-1 Muller* (*denotes server): That tiebreak looks to have knocked the stuffing out of Muller. Murray, meanwhile, is bouncing on his toes even if he appears to have cut his hand from banging it against his racket in frustration earlier on. Muller’s serving is below par and it allows Murray two break points. He does cut him back to deuce and closes out the game with a sixth ace of the match.
Third set: Murray* 2-0 Muller (*denotes server): The game is delayed a tad as a woman tries to find a seat and is told off by the umpire. Muller takes the first point but Murray replies with his 11th ace. He wants the same ball back, of course, before a pair of errors from Muller makes it 40-15. Muller challenges the game-winning point – but the call stands.
Third set: Murray 1-0 Muller* (*denotes server): Momentum is an oft use buzzword in sport – but should we expect that to carry Murray through now? Yes, yes we can. He has two break points and although the first is wasted by a return into the net he wins the second.
Murray wins the second set 7-6 (7-2)
He pulls it back to 1-1 – we will have a deciding set!
Second set tiebreak: Murray* 6-2 Muller (*denotes server): The next point goes with serve.
Second set tiebreak: Murray 5-2 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller sends an attempted smash far too long and Murray has to level it up now surely …
Second set tiebreak: Murray 4-2 Muller* (*denotes server): Murray challenges a narrow call of out with a stunning return. Again, the call is a good one and stands.
Second set tiebreak: Murray* 4-1 Muller (*denotes server): Muller is back up at the net and pulls a point back with a sweet shot with Murray back on the baseline.
Second set tiebreak: Murray* 4-0 Muller (*denotes server): Muller challenges after his return is called out. The review agrees with the umpire!
Second set tiebreak: Murray 3-0 Muller* (*denotes server): Now Murray is motoring! He sends a nice cross-court winner in to take control.
Second set tiebreak: Murray 2-0 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller’s serve is returned by Murray. The Luxembourg player sends a volley back but at full stretch Murray shoots past him. Wonderful shot!
Second set tiebreak: Murray* 1-0 Muller (*denotes server): A decent rally ends with a freer moving Murray nudging in front.
Second set: Murray 6-6 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller matches Murray by starting with an ace – somewhat surprisingly it’s only his fifth. Murray falls 30-0 behind and sarcastically comments to himself: “Shot mate”. Muller, cool as you like, wins the next point and although Murray pulls back to 40-30, Muller closes it out. Decisive tiebreak it is!
Second set: Murray* 6-5 Muller (*denotes server): Murray starts with his 10th ace and ends a short game with ease. Reminder: Eggheads will not be shown tonight!
Second set: Murray 5-5 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller wins the first point but Murray produces a stunning return to go 15-15. He is loudly critical of himself once more when he cannot send back a Muller volley and the Luxembourg No1 finishes with a wonderful ace – his fifth of the match.
Breaking: Eggheads has been taken off the BBC 2 listings this evening. Dammit!
Second set: Murray* 5-4 Muller (*denotes server): Again, the game goes emphatically with the serve.
Second set: Murray 4-4 Muller* (*denotes server): Struggling to separate these two now. Both look impregnable on their own serves. Muller has been advancing to the net a bit more in this set – and with some reward, winning a point to make it 40-15 before soon closing it out.
Second set: Murray* 4-3 Muller (*denotes server): Murray wins the first point with an ace before a terrific rally goes in his favour. He makes it 40-0 with another ace and Muller fails to return the next point, producing the largest roar so far this evening. Maybe they’re getting more booze down their necks but the Queen’s crowd has livened up after that.
Second set: Murray 3-3 Muller* (*denotes server): John Inverdale, on BBC, explains that Muller is the fourth most famous person to come from Luxembourg – ever. Murray, meanwhile, keeps speaking out loud to himself – his pep talk matters little as Muller sends him chasing the ball across the court and races to 40-0. Murray pulls it back to 40-30 but Muller produces a slower serve at a precise angle to take the game.
Second set: Murray* 3-2 Muller (*denotes server): Murray has had six point-winning drop shot attempts from seven and the latest sets him up for a relatively straightforward game. He seals it with his sixth ace.
Second set: Murray 2-2 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller wins a great point at 30-15 before a dazzling but all-too-brief rally sees Muller make it 40-15 despite Murray’s playing a delightful backhand volley. Murray overhits on an open court to eventually lose the game and he screams: ‘MOVEMENT’ in frustation.
Second set: Murray* 2-1 Muller (*denotes server): Murray does, nonetheless, look strong on his own serve. He pulls back ahead in this set by winning to love with a ruthless display.
Updated
Second set: Murray 1-1 Muller* (*denotes server): Murray zings a terrific shot past Muller’s backhand side to take the first point but he fails to reach a return on the second. At 30-15 he shows signs of frustration, huffing, puffing and banging his racket off his shoes. Muller aces to make it 40-15 and Murray’s dragged so far out of position on his return for the next point that he cannot get back across the court to return again.
Second set: Murray* 1-0 Muller (*denotes server): That is a good start from Murray – he shows he can produce big serves of his own by racing to 40-0. He drops a point but closes out the game and he jogs away with what appears an added spring in his step.
Updated
Gilles Muller wins the first set 6-3
Muller remains impenetrable on his own serve, winning the game to love thanks to a couple of incredibly wide deliveries. Do we have an upset on our hands?
First set: Murray *3-5 Muller (*denotes server): Serving to stay in the set, Murray produces his most emphatic game yet. He wins the game to love and is actually leading Muller 4-1 on aces.
First set: Murray 2-5* Muller (*denotes server): Murray plays a dreamy cross-court shot to make it 15-15 but he is struggling to return Muller’s serve. Struggling to see how Murray can break him at the moment, though, of course, it remains early days.
First set: Murray* 2-4 Muller (*denotes server): It is all a tad subdued at present but that is until at deuce Murray produces a lovely dropshot and holds with an ace.
Updated
First set: Murray 1-4* Muller (*denotes server): Muller starts with a double fault and despite clawing back to 15-15 he allows Murray two break points. The first is scratched by dragging Murray to the right of the court and returning to his left, the second is ripped up with a delicious serve to Murray’s backhand that cannot be returned. Muller wins the next point on deuce and notches his first ace at 130mph to take the game. Blink and you will miss it!
First set: Murray* 1-3 Muller (*denotes server): After a slight delay due to people trying to find their seats – manners, patrons, manners! – Murray challenges a call of out on his first serve but the umpire is correct and the proceeding point goes in favour of Muller. The Luxembourgian plays a lovely backhand to go 0-30 but Murray responds forcefully to make it 30-30 but Muller wins the next two points to break the Scot!
Updated
First set: Murray 1-2 Muller* (*denotes server): Murray wins the first point against the serve after the first rally of the match to make it 15-15 and an unforced error from Muller on the next point gives The Face of the British Summer the most slender glimmer of an advantage. Muller wins the following three points to edge forward on the scoreboard again, however.
Updated
First set: Murray* 1-1 Muller (*denotes server): Murray responds by winning his first service game to love. He hits an ace on his second serve to make it 30-0 before hitting what John Inverdale calls a proper ace for 40-0. After failing to land his first serve, he wins the game on his second without too much trouble.
Updated
First set: Murray 0-1 Muller* (*denotes server): Muller wastes no time, taking the first game to love. Murray, standing some way off the baseline, fails to return the first point, manages to send back the second and third points and the fourth attempted return is inaccurate.
Updated
Almost ready to go – the final warm-up serves are zipping off the grass. There are a couple of light fluffy clouds above but conditions are ideal and the court is packed out.
Simon has won the final set 7-5! He will play Anderson in the semi-final tomorrow.
Simon has taken the second set against Raonic – 6-3 – so Murray’s arrival may be a little later than hoped.
What is it about Andy Murray at Queen’s on years ending in an odd number? 2009: champion. 2011: champion. 2013: champion. 2015: let’s not jump to conclusions yet but with Rafa Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic and Grigor Dimitrov all out of the running things look promising.
First up, however, he will need to overcome the Luxembourg left-hander Gilles Muller in this afternoon’s third quarter-final. They have met only twice previously, at Dubai earlier this season and in Brisbane back in 2012, and Murray progressed on both occasions.
This will be their first duel on grass and although Murray was a smidgen off his best form in the previous round, when beating Fernando Verdasco 7-5 6-4, aided by the Spaniard’s 10 double faults, the Scot is a big favourite to progress.
Muller did impress when beating Dimitrov in straight sets and the lanky world No48, who has previously suffered from a troublesome elbow injury, possesses quite the threat on his serve. He has managed 56 aces in the opening two rounds but if Murray can tame that he should advance. “He served 37 aces in the first round,” he said. “I haven’t served that many the whole year [Murray actually has 245 to Muller’s 381].”
There are some concerns about Murray suffering from various aches and pains after switching from clay to grass but he allayed all fears after defeating Verdasco. “When you start changing surface, you get sore in different places,” he said yesterday. “After the first match I felt OK. After doubles yesterday I felt a little bit stiff, lower back and the backs of the legs. Today I just wanted to make sure, go over everything with my physio, so that they understand exactly what it is I’m feeling, and then get all of the right treatment and my warm-downs done and eat properly, because I want to recover well.”
Things get underway once Gilles Simon and Milos Raonic have ceased battle – Raonic won the first set. Kevin Anderson won the first quarter-final in straight sets. In the meantime, do read Kevin Mitchell on Murray’s win over Verdasco.
