I am hoping he has a good run of form in the next few weeks. I have tickets for semis and final in Barcelona next week and also 3 days in Madrid the following week. Signs are good that he is on form. Let's hope I haven't just given him the commentators curse !!
R3: (3) Andy Murray WR 4 vs Julien Benneteau (FRA) WR 31
The head-to-head is 2-0 in Andy's favour, but it's three years since they last met & neither was a straight-sets win: Wimbledon in 4 in 2006 & Cinci in three in 2009!
R3: (3) Andy Murray WR 4 vs Julien Benneteau (FRA) WR 31
The head-to-head is 2-0 in Andy's favour, but it's three years since they last met & neither was a straight-sets win: Wimbledon in 4 in 2006 & Cinci in three in 2009!
Blimey! Must be a bit of a "slug-fest" going on on the devil dirt: they've been going for an hour & minutes & they're only in the eleventh game, with the score in the first set standing at *5-5 30-0 to Andy! Unfortunately, however, there's been an injury break.
Benneteau was getting inside Andy's head with some quality drop shots and Andy showed some great defence but was a bit too passive at times and made a few uncharacteristic errors.
Benny went over on his ankle in the same place Monaco did a couple of days ago, replay was pretty nasty. Tried to play on but clear he couldn't continue.
Very nasty-looking injury for Benny, just watching the replay made me feel sick. The match was good to watch before it happened, Andy certainly not at his best (that first-serve % again!) and seemed pretty grumpy at the start. I think he still doesn't care for early starts, but probably had to agree to it because of playing doubles later. The Frenchman was playing very well, but I think Andy would have worn him down eventually.
Very nice gesture from Andy when Benneteau was receiving treatment just after the fall, running over with a couple of ice-bags.
That's it! Curtains! Andy loses by 7-6(4) 2-6 3-6. Never looked like threatening Berd-brain's service in the deciding set & was always chasing the match: he was lucky to take the first set into a tie-break!