murray misery puts federer in the australian open frame
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

To Roger Federer who edged closer

Murray misery puts Federer in the Australian Open frame

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Murray misery puts Federer in the Australian Open frame

Andy Murray
Melbourne - ArabToday

 World number one Andy Murray suffered a huge upset at the Australian Open on Sunday, opening the door wider to Roger Federer who edged closer to an 18th major title.

Murray was the hot favourite after Novak Djokovic's shock exit, but the Briton lost 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to serve-volleyer Mischa Zverev to extend his wait for a first Melbourne title.

Federer's chances of a first major championship since 2012 are improving all the time, with Zverev his next challenge after needing five sets to down Kei Nishikori 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in round four.

"This is a huge moment for me in my career," said the 35-year-old Swiss who already holds a record 17 Grand Slam victories.

"I was telling myself, 'Stay calm'. I feel fit, I've trained as hard as I possibly can in the off-season. That's what you tell yourself and you hope it pays off," he added.

Murray was never expected to be troubled by Germany's Zverev, 29, who has never won an ATP title, but he lost in his earliest Melbourne departure in eight years.

It isn't since the 2004 French Open that the top two seeds have gone out before the quarter-finals, a development that spells opportunity for the remaining players.

With the defeat, Murray extends his curse at the Australian Open, where he has been runner-up five times -- losing four finals to Djokovic -- without lifting the trophy.

He also made the earliest exit for an Australian Open top seed in 14 years, since Lleyton Hewitt fell at the same stage in 2003.

"I've had tough losses in my career in the past. I've come back from them. This is a tough one," Murray said.

"I'm sure I'll come back okay from it. But right now I'm obviously very down because I wanted to go further in this event, and it wasn't to be."

- 'A little coma' -

Zverev, a former junior rival of Murray's, stretched to a series of elastic volleys to halt the nonplussed Scot, coming to the net 118 times.

"I was like in a little coma, just serving and volleying my way through it. There were a few points where I didn't know how I pulled it off but somehow I made it," he said.

Zverev, a late bloomer after a career riddled with injuries, reaches his first Grand Slam quarter-final where he will play his idol Federer on Monday.

Meanwhile Stan Wawrinka, who won the first of his three Grand Slam titles in Melbourne in 2014, came through 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) against Italy's Andreas Seppi.

The formidable Swiss, now into his fourth Australian Open quarter-final, will play France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who came from a set down to beat British surprise package Dan Evans.

"It's a big surprise for sure," Wawrinka said of Murray's defeat. "It shows that it's not so easy as we can think, or when we see the draw, to just win, keep winning all the time."

Earlier Venus Williams, the oldest player in the women's draw at 36, also became one of the first into the quarter-finals when she beat German qualifier Mona Barthel 6-3, 7-5.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner allowed herself to dream of a possible final with her sister Serena, who is steaming through the other side of the draw in search of her 23rd major title.

"That could hopefully happen. We both still have to work very hard to get there," Venus Williams said.

Her quarter-final opponent is Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who beat fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-3 to reach her first Australian Open quarter-final in nine attempts.

French Open champion Garbine Muguruza beat Sorana Cirstea 6-2, 6-3 to set up a last-eight encounter against top seed Angelique Kerber or Coco Vandeweghe.

source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

murray misery puts federer in the australian open frame murray misery puts federer in the australian open frame

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

murray misery puts federer in the australian open frame murray misery puts federer in the australian open frame

 



GMT 21:16 2016 Monday ,27 June

Zaki Badr discusses cleaning problem in Giza

GMT 21:46 2017 Saturday ,14 January

Turkey arrests 60 businessmen for alleged Gulen ties

GMT 22:38 2017 Friday ,24 March

Abbas meets with Merkel in Berlin

GMT 09:02 2017 Monday ,27 March

Tunisian Premier Concludes Visit to Sudan

GMT 15:54 2017 Friday ,01 September

Attorney General Directs Prosecutors to inspect Prison

GMT 09:22 2017 Sunday ,31 December

HM King condoles with Afghanistan President

GMT 10:12 2016 Wednesday ,06 April

Strong dollar, mild weather shrink H&M profits

GMT 17:03 2016 Saturday ,24 December

7 police killed in attacks in Afghansitan

GMT 13:51 2017 Friday ,17 March

Israel denies Syria shot down a warplane

GMT 04:08 2017 Thursday ,05 January

Carbon tax can fund clean energy transition

GMT 19:27 2016 Wednesday ,14 September

Alstom to go ahead with plans to shut down Belfort plant
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday