Murray is bouncing up and down the court in celebration, clutching a union flag as the, er, Proclaimers rings out at Queen’s Club. Delight is overriding exhaustion – what a brutal encounter, what a punishing weekend. Thanks for reading. Bye!
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Murray wins the fourth set 6-0 … and the match
Murray has two match points but Simon fights back to deuce. Simon overhits on the next point but saves a third match point. Murray earns a fourth and he nails it. Great Britain will play Australia the week after the US Open in the Davis Cup semi-finals.
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Fourth set: Murray* 5-0 Simon (4-6, 7-6, 6-3): Murray wins to love and we’ve reached the stage where only the i needs to be dotted and the t needs to be crossed. Great Britain will be welcoming Australia for a semi-final in September!
Fourth set: Murray 4-0 Simon* (4-6, 7-6, 6-3): Another break for Murray and Simon is now not only worrying about staying in the game, he’s also fretting about being bageled. Quite a sad way for it to end, however, with his legs giving up on him.
Fourth set: Murray* 3-0 Simon (4-6, 7-6, 6-3): Simon is back on his feet but loses this game to love in a repeat of the previous set. Murray should close this out easily now, with his opponent struggling to move freely.
Fourth set: Murray 2-0 Simon* (4-6, 7-6, 6-3): Murray breaks! But there’s further concern for Simon after falling while been broken. He limps to his chair in considerable stress and the trainer is back on. That was Murray’s second break point having failed to convert the first one … after falling too.
Fourth set: Murray* 1-0 Simon (4-6, 7-6, 6-3): Simon wins the first point but Murray does not give him another sniff and he sails into an early fourth set lead on serve.
Murray wins the third set 6-3
Stunning from Murray! He goes 0-30 before Simon battles back. The Frenchman slips for a third time after a serve however, to give Murray a break point which he nails with a truly remarkable topspin lob after Simon had made his way to the net.
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Third set: Murray* 5-3 Simon (4-6, 7-6): The first point is a hard-fought rally that ends with Simon finding the net but Murray goes on to win the game to love and no matter what happens on Simon’s serve, Murray will serve for the set.
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Third set: Murray 4-3 Simon* (4-6, 7-6): Simon holds despite Murray winning the first point, closing the game with a blistering forehand past the Briton’s reach.
Third set: Murray* 4-2 Simon (4-6, 7-6): Murray hits five unreturned serves to win from deuce. With each one came a louder shout of ‘Come on’ and a more powerful fist pump.
Third set: Murray 3-2 Simon* (4-6, 7-6): He starts with an ace and powers on to make it 3-2. Murray needs to attack in this game to avoid falling back into the hole he’s dug himself out of in the past 45 minutes.
Third set: Murray* 3-1 Simon (4-6, 7-6): But now Simon has broken back! He is given two break points – the first is saved but he takes the second and this is back on.
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Third set: Murray 3-0 Simon* (4-6, 7-6): Simon is on the ropes and Murray breaks him again! Speaking on BBC, Murray’s team-mate Dom Inglot has hinted at Simon’s mental fragility: “I think someone like Gilles Simon will think his opportunity is gone.” At the moment you have to agree. Simon does save a break point to deuce but Murray takes the second.
Third set: Murray* 2-0 Simon (4-6, 7-6): This game starts with another exhausting rally and as we reach the 2hr 15min mark, Murray looks fresh and Simon is jaded. The Frenchman does win a couple of points but Murray consolidates his break with another display of ferocious serving.
Third set: Murray 1-0 Simon* (4-6, 7-6): Murray, suddenly, looks a bundle of energy and starts the third set with an impressive break. He also may have broken Simon mentally too, sending him running across the court and back again in a stunning game-clinching rally.
Murray wins the second set 7-6
Second set tie-break: Murray serves first and loses the point. The second point produces a lengthy rally and Murray sends a shot into the net. Murray pulls one back with an aggressive forehand before Simon makes it 3-1. Then Murray sends a return long on the next point, he challenges but it’s out. Before the change of ends, he does nail a delightful backhand to make it 4-2. A rapid exchange with both players at the net ends with Simon misplacing a return, giving Murray the impetus to push on and level at 4-4 with a drop shot. Then Simon makes it 5-4, Murray levels once more against the serve before taking the lead to give himself set point … and he wallops an unreturnable serve in to take the tie break 7-5!
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Second set: Murray 6-6 Simon* (4-6): And now Simon wins a service game with ease, dropping only one point, and we will be heading for a tie break. Brace yourselves!
Second set: Murray* 6-5 Simon (4-6): That’s the first quick game we have had in some time, Murray winning to love thanks to some very impressive serving.
Second set: Murray 5-5 Simon* (4-6): Momentum checked! Simon pulls it together and convincingly takes his next service game. You get the sense we could be here for a very long time to come.
Second set: Murray* 5-4 Simon (4-6): Murray plays another drop shot but this time Simon is up at the net to volley past his opponent to make it 0-30 but then Murray grits his teeth and makes it three games in a row. Now he’s motoring, folks!
Second set: Murray 4-4 Simon* (4-6): Murray breaks! He loses his footing on the first point, gets up and continues without a problem and produces some of his most clinical tennis of the match so far, forcing Simon into a rare error to level the set. On his tiredness, it doesn’t help that there have been plenty of really long rallies but has he now got momentum behind him? Let’s see how he holds …
Second set: Murray* 3-4 Simon (4-6): Murray is giving it everything but he’s suffering out there. He digs hard again to save a break point in a very, very long game in which neither player was interested in going on the attack. The question is where will he get the energy to fight back. At the moment he is zapped.
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Second set: Murray 2-4 Simon* (4-6): Murray is certainly beginning to compete more on Simon’s serve now but the Frenchman is playing some very intelligent tennis and takes another game thanks to some impressive play at the net.
Second set: Murray* 2-3 Simon (4-6): Murray holds well, taking the decisive point after drawing Simon across to the left of the court with a sweet backhand. The Frenchman’s looping return is smashed by Murray, whose facial expressions have turned from anger and frustration to a steely focus.
Second set: Murray 1-3 Simon* (4-6): Simon is doing exceptionally well on his serve at present. A tight game, full of lengthy rallies goes in the way of the Frenchman after a couple of deuces. He looks to have overcome that injury too, showing no ill effects as he glides across court.
Second set: Murray* 1-2 Simon (4-6): That’s better from Murray, winning the game to 15, but he’s certainly suffering out there. Three games in three days are taking their toll.
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Second set: Murray 0-2 Simon* (4-6): Simon makes it to 40-0 but Murray draws him to the net and he sends a shot across court that is far too long. Suddenly Murray’s game clicks and he gets to deuce before Simon fights back and holds his serve. Murray whacks his racket on the grass out of frustration. He needs to regain control before things slip further out of his reach.
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Second set: Murray* 0-1 Simon (4-6): Simon breaks again! Murray wins the first point but lets the next four slip and if he was upset before, he is now absolutely furious. Some great attacking play from Simon, however, whose overall game is currently a step above Murray’s.
Simon wins the first set 6-4
Such nervelessness from Simon! Murray has a break point and finds the net. After deuce, he has another break point following another Simon slip but sends it long. Simon then earns a set point following a ludicrously long rally and Murray sends a forehand long. He’s upset and is giving out to himself. Simon isn’t a bag of fun either – his knee still appears to be giving him trouble.
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First set: Murray* 4-5 Simon (*denotes server of previous game): Murray wins the first point with another drop shot – no boos this time – and with Simon still struggling with this injury takes the game without any bother.
First set: Murray 3-5 Simon* (*denotes server of previous game): There’s a false call of out for the first point after Murray sends a winner down the line. The challenge shows it was in, but the point is replayed and Simon wins it before racing to 40-0. However he slips and hyper-extends his right knee. The trainer is called mid-game and he receives plenty of treatment. When the game resumes Murray wins the next point with a drop shot, spawning preposterous boos from the French, before he faults and Simon closes the game.
First set: Murray* 3-4 Simon* (*denotes server of previous game): Last game with these balls and Murray closes with a ferocious forehand. Simon did get to 30-30 but could not force a break point.
First set: Murray 2-4 Simon* (*denotes server of previous game): The umpire’s call of ‘Game France’ tells you all you really need to know. Murray getting little change from Simon’s serve, the visiting players easing to another service game.
First set: Murray* 2-3 Simon (*denotes server of previous game): Murray steadies to hold but Simon is barely missing a ball at the moment and puts up a strong fight, getting to 15-30 before the Scot moves up a gear.
First set: Murray 1-3 Simon* (*denotes server of previous game): Simon makes the break count by holding easily and, slightly worrying for Murray, the Scot appears to be stretching the groin he injured when slipping during the doubles yesterday.
First set: Murray* 1-2 Simon (*denotes server of previous game): This was not part of the script! Simon earns two break points following some unusually sloppy play from Murray on the baseline, and the Frenchman only requires the first one, forcing Murray into a return he cannot send back over the net.
First set: Murray 1-1 Simon* (*denotes server of previous game): Simon takes the first two points before Murray sends a rasping crosscourt forehand and Simon’s return ends up in the net for 30-15. In the end it’s a comfortable hold for Simon courtesy of some good play at the net.
First set: Murray* 1-0 Simon (*denotes server of previous game): Murray wins the first point but loses the second while wasting a challenge. No matter, he plows on and gets off the mark without much bother.
Before we get underway, an email from Tom Callaghan on a familiar debate.
It seemed to me that Andy Murray’s obvious enthusiasm for GB Davis Cup team and his reference to being ‘proud to represent your country’ in the Queen’s Club atmosphere suggests that he does feel British after all.
I think we can safely say that he loves the Davis Cup and the team mentality.
The players are on court. We are moments away. There’s a combination of blue skies and fluffy clouds above and there is a bit of a breeze.
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Preamble
Andy Murray’s task is simple. Win and Great Britain are in the Davis Cup semi-finals, where Australia await at home after they defeated Kazakhstan. But how must his tired limbs have felt this morning after replacing Dominic Inglot to play alongside his brother in yesterday’s dramatic doubles comeback against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Nicolas Mahut having also beaten Tsonga on Friday evening? It was, of course, worthwhile having won both matches but he had attention to a groin after an innocuous slip yesterday and might physically be suffering a couple of hours from now.
Gilles Simon will have had more time to rest, but the pressure is on the Frenchman. He must win to draw level and keep the final singles match, which follows immediately after this, alive. The world No11 also has a poor record against Murray, winning twice from their 14 meetings, though one of those was in their most recent match in the quarter-finals at Rotterdam He won 6-4 6-4 6-1 against James Ward on Friday lunchtime and was watching courtside yesterday while his compatriots went down.
Play gets underway around 1pm and while we wait, let’s all have a read of Kevin Mitchell’s report from yesterday’s doubles, which was far more enjoyable than any of that cricket stuff a few miles across London and certainly more action-packed than any golf at St Andrews – all the more reason you should stick around here. If it transpires there’s more excitement elsewhere, I’ll apologise to you all one-by-one.
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