Andy Murray outlasts Stanislas Wawrinka to enter semis – Rakuten Open 2012
Olympic gold medallist, Andy Murray, got the better of the Swiss star, Stanislas Wawrinka, in a three-set mouth-watering clash at the Rakuten Open 2012 on Friday. He summed up a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory against the Swiss number two to power into the final four at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan.
Seeded top in this event, Murray showed spectacular skills and agility to stomp over the Swiss in their 12th meeting. After recording the victory in almost two hours, the Dunblane, Scotland native improved to an 8-4 lifetime in the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head Series against the 27-year-old and booked a spot in the semi-finals at this outdoor hard court event.
"It was tough. I started the match well," says the jubilant Scot in a courtside interview after conquering Wawrinka. "Stan came back at the beginning of the second set. There were a lot of long games, long rallies. He won them in the second and I took them in the third. Tough games."
Murray, who is playing his first tournament after capturing his maiden Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows, thundered into this ATP World Tour 500 Series event. He drew the first blood in the opening game and jumped to a 2-0 lead. He maintained consistency in his game and after breaking his opponent serve again, the Brit leaped to a 5-1 lead. He plucked his serve once again and clicked the opener with a 6-2 success.
Ranked 16th in the world, Wawrinka rebounded in the proceeding set. He got the coveted break in the fourth game and climbed to a 4-1 lead. The Swiss kept his remaining serves with poise and pulled out the equaliser with a 6-3 score line.
The world number three re-gained his early ascendance and momentum in the final set. He broke Wawrinka’s serve in the fourth game and subsequently took a 4-1 lead. After the Swiss held his serve in the sixth game, Murray pocketed the last two games and sealed the decider by winning six games to two.
Murray will lock horns with the Canadian number one, Milos Raonic.
"It will be different than today. He has a massive serve, so there won't be many rallies," Murray reflected about his next match-up. "He is always a tricky player because of his game style."
The third seeded Raonic made an epic comeback from a set down to shock the Serbian number two, Janko Tipsarevic, in a three-set thriller to set up this battle.
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