Murray the 3 set King not 5 sets (still time to improve though) couldn't sustain the fightback at 4-5 when he had all the momentum. I fancy Soderling to beat Gonzalez having watched Soderling play today.

Wearing black clothing on a hot sunny day is not a great idea.

Madeline wrote:

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I watched the match, and didn't even feel disappointed (except at HOW he lost some of the points) because I didn't ever expect him to get even this far in the tournament. Ah well, a couple of days off, Andy, and then get down to practice on the grass.

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I agree I'm happy he got this far and impressed that he did in such style as well. But I am disappointed in how he played that match, I didn't watch all of it but the bit I did (most of the first set, then bits and pieces in the last 3 sets), Murray just seemed to have the tactics all wrong. He seemed to be hitting the balls directly to Gonzo's racket and even I could tell in advance where he was going so I have no doubt Gonzo could, he gave Gonzo open court to play with, pace to use and beautifully placed balls to unleash winners off. Now I can't say I know exactly what the right tactics might have been (though a few more drop shots wouldn't have gone amiss, maybe some more net play) and clearly Gonzo is having one of his good tournaments but still, that did disappoint me a bit.

A very disappointing result today, even though as a few people said on here, it was hard to think of Muzza as really being the favourite for this match. It's just sad that a chance to win a slam as good as this has gone begging - certainly, if Rafa comes back like Sampras did at Wimby (won 3 in a row, lost early to Krajicek, won 4 in a row), it may be Andy's best chance to win RG gone.

Perhaps the draw opening up at RG simply came a year or two too early for Muzza, who is still improving on clay - after all, it is hard to be too down about this loss when he has:

- got two rounds further here than he ever has before
- missed his seeding place on his least favourite surface by just one round
- amassed nearly twice as many points on clay this year as he was defending from last year

Also, Muzza has now reached his third slam QF in 12 months having not reached any 12 months ago and something else he can be proud of:

Andy is the first British male player in the open era to reach the second week (R4 or better) of four slams in a row (*), beating Tim's 2004 RG SF - Wim. QF - USO QF run (which was sandwiched between two R3 exits at the AO) and his own run of three R4s in 2006/7.

(*) I've checked Roger Taylor, Mark Cox, Buster Mottram, John Lloyd, Tim & Greg, so I'm pretty sure that's correct! Btw Andy still has some way to go to match the only Brit to get to no. 2 in the open era, Virginia Wade, who in 1972-3 reached the second week of eight consecutive slams in both singles and doubles, winning the AO singles in 1972 and every doubles slam except Wimbledon in 1973!

After the first few games I thought Andy was going to be blown off the court. I'd never watched Gonzalez play before today, but those were bullets he was firing - I've never seen anything like it. I thought Andy did pretty well in the first set, and to take the 2nd was a great achievement. If his shot selection was poor on occasions, it was probably either due to desperation or the fact that it was all he could do to get the ball back. Anyway, as others have said, I'm delighted that he's had such an improved clay court season this year.

steven wrote:

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A very disappointing result today, even though as a few people said on here, it was hard to think of Muzza as really being the favourite for this match. It's just sad that a chance to win a slam as good as this has gone begging - certainly, if Rafa comes back like Sampras did at Wimby (won 3 in a row, lost early to Krajicek, won 4 in a row), it may be Andy's best chance to win RG gone.

Perhaps the draw opening up at RG simply came a year or two too early for Muzza, who is still improving on clay - after all, it is hard to be too down about this loss when he has:

- got two rounds further here than he ever has before
- missed his seeding place on his least favourite surface by just one round
- amassed nearly twice as many points on clay this year as he was defending from last year

Also, Muzza has now reached his third slam QF in 12 months having not reached any 12 months ago and something else he can be proud of:

Andy is the first British male player in the open era to reach the second week (R4 or better) of four slams in a row (*), beating Tim's 2004 RG SF - Wim. QF - USO QF run (which was sandwiched between two R3 exits at the AO) and his own run of three R4s in 2006/7.

(*) I've checked Roger Taylor, Mark Cox, Buster Mottram, John Lloyd, Tim & Greg, so I'm pretty sure that's correct! Btw Andy still has some way to go to match the only Brit to get to no. 2 in the open era, Virginia Wade, who in 1972-3 reached the second week of eight consecutive slams in both singles and doubles, winning the AO singles in 1972 and every doubles slam except Wimbledon in 1973!

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Great post Steven for putting things in perspective about the continual improvements Andy has made, particularly in Grand Slams.

Check out the stats improvement this year in 2 previous clear areas of concern, 1st seve percentage and very notably break points ( both conversion and saving ).  He continually imporoves what needs improved and has had as a soo much better clay court campaign.  As has been said, the draw really opened up a year or 2 too early for Andy in Paris.

It might not seem at times to us so closely following but Andy's career is really a very clear steady progression.  Gawd, how would some folk cope following Gasquet, Monfils, Berdych etc. ?

I think like most people I made Fernandez clear favourite for the match, as I said if they were both well and played to their potential.  What is disapopinting is that Andy didn't play to his potential and one thing I mentioned before was "length, length, length" or he risked at times getting killed by Fernandez's forehand and shifted all over the place.  I guess it was no great insight, but anyway that happened a bit too much.

I'd like to comment on that third set where it evidently went very very wrong but I err totally missed it !  After it went to one set all, I observed a very smiley Correja giving the thumbs up while they waited for the court  that had just been drowned ( went bit OTT there ) to dry a bit.  I was really starting to believe, but I had a few thing to do but time to be back for the conclusion of the third set.  It was 1-0 next set when I came back for that !

End was very starnge, and for a fighting guy like Andy it is strange that it is not the first time I have seen him just sort of seem to totally give way like that right at the end.  He had just broken to be right back in the set and the match, and he has a good 5 set record.  Just a bit bizzare.

So disappointed in the way he played much of yesterday.  But if you'ed asked me before the French Open started, and I would have been more than happy with him getting to the Quarter Finals and losing to Gonzalez in 4 sets.  That is real progress on clay.

So having not got past lthe last 16 in any majors previously, his record in his latest round of Grand Slam events been :
Wimbledon :  Quarters, one round further than ever before there
US Open :   Final, 3 rounds further than ever before there
Aussie Open :  last 16, very disappointing but still equalled furthest ever there
French Open :  Quarters, 2 rounds further than ever before there

This guy to me is carrying on very much in the right direction, and continually appears to work on and improve what he needs to improve.

From time to time some things go a bit awry, they do with all players. It's not a real biggee for me ( probably now the lapses for single games  / periods are the thing to most get out of his system ),  but generally he's coninually learning how to overcome what issues he has.

Go, Andy !