Murray storms back to quarterfinals spot

World No. 4 Andy Murray came back from a set down Monday to defeat mercurial 17th seed Richard Gasquet 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in stirring display. After dispelling a shaky start, the Scot completely outplayed and overwhelmed his French rival and will now meet sixth seed and dark horse David Ferrer in the quarterfinals Wednesday.Fourth seed and peripheral contender Andy Murray received the toughest draw in the fourth round from the top seeds, in the form of local lad and enigmatic Richard Gasquet. The two had enjoyed a straightforward tournament so far, dropping a combined four sets on their way to the last 16. The thought of playing Gasquet was undoubtedly daunting for Murray, as the pair contested a marathon five setter in the 2010 Wimbledon championships, with Murray retrieving a two-set deficit to win the match. Baseline rallying was the order of the day, as the two players began the match bombing the ball at each other from deep. After Murray surrendered a 40-0 lead in the second game, through combination of wayward strokes and double faults, Gasquet seized the early initiative, breaking the Scot and in the process racing to a 3-0 lead. Murray held serve in the fourth game, but after his drop shot was telegraphed by Gasquet at 30-40 in the fifth, he plummeted to an early 4-1 deficit. Gasquet was firing on all cylinders, with his usually erratic backhand working with aplomb. And crisp baseline play along with early shot making pinned Murray back, and the Scot simply had no answer to the Gasquet barrage. A final down-the-line backhand emphatically ended the set for Gasquet as he ran out a comfortable 6-1 winner. Murray made a more promising start to the second set, notching up three straight service games to lead 3-2. The sixth game would result in Murray making inroads, as a couple of Gasquet unforced errors coupled with two blistering cross-court forehands from the Scot saw him achieve his first break of the Gasquet serve and go up 4-2 in the second set. The Frenchman would reply in resounding fashion with a break of his own, after a hard-fought game that rumbled on for over five minutes. A rip-roaring display saw Gasquet hold serve in the eighth game and level the match at 4-4. At deuce in the next game, a thumping backhand whistled just wide of the line, with the umpire leaving his chair to confirm the out call. The vital sequence resulted in Murray winning the next point to hold serve, saving two break points in the process. Gasquet relinquished a 40-15 advantage in the next game, to allow Murray back in at deuce. The Scot capitalized on his counterpart’s shortcomings, with deft touches in and around the net, as well as side-to-side baseline strokes. Gasquet eventually bailed his opponent out with a double fault, handing him the second set 6-4. The rigorous and taxing nature of the first two sets came to a grinding halt in the third, as Murray surged to an early lead in blistering pace. After breaking the Gasquet serve at the first time of asking, the world No. 4 was effectively handed the second game following Gasquet’s inexplicable missed smash, with Murray at his mercy. The two sub-par games initiated a slump for Gasquet, as he was outclassed and dominated by Murray. The Scot was finding his form and quickly, as he sprayed his shots from corner to corner and Gasquet chased shadows. The Frenchman cut a forlorn figure while he labored and lumbered around the clay. He was afforded a consolatory game, but that was all, with Murray marauding to 6-1 third set demolition. In an effort to appease the French fans, Gasquet came out fighting in the fourth set, registering his first game of the set in double quick time. But the resurgence was swiftly quelled by Murray, who once again impressively demonstrated his on court savvy and versatility. Murray was nonchalantly laying down the law with crisp baseline play and wonderful net prowess. He consistently pushed Gasquet out of the court, and superbly closed the angles off at the net, completely shutting out a route for the Frenchman. A thumping forehand gave Murray his second break of the game, to lead 4-1 in the fourth and close in on victory. Gasquet held serve in the seventh game to make the score 5-2, but the outcome was inevitablefor Andy Murray as he cruised to a 6-2 victory in the fourth set, with his pinpoint exploits taking their toll on the weary Gasquet. Murray will now meet the dangerous David Ferrer in the tournament’s quarterfinals stage in two days’ time. By The Daily Star