Murray and Davydenko set up rematch
Scot and Russian set up repeat of 2007 Qatar Open semi as Ljubicic also goes through.
Murray believes he is already a better player than he was last year [AFP] |
Nikolay Davydenko and Andy Murray will meet in the semi-finals of the Qatar ATP Open, after both eased through their quarter-final ties.
The wins on Thursday set up a repeat of their 2007 semi-final in Doha, which Murray, the world’s number 11 and this year’s third seed, won.
Murray showed versatility and intelligence in overcoming Swede Thomas Johansson 7-6, 6-0.
“In the second set I was a lot more confident. I had the momentum and his head went down after the first set.”
“I was expecting it to be a really tough match and it went like that in the first set and then I upped my game a bit.”
Murray said that his knowledge of his opponents, including Johansson, 32, has assisted him in his tennis.
“I have watched a lot of tennis, when I was 15 or 16. I watched a lot of these guys playing and know a lot about most players.”
However, Murray did not say that he would be the favourite in his semi-final match, despite believing that he is a better player than he was last year.
Ljubicic goes through
Powerful base-line play dominated Davydenko’s match against fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov, with the 26-year-old pulling out some outstanding passing shots.
The Russian, ranked number four in the world and the tournament’s top seed, won in two sets, 7-5, 6-3, setting up what promises to be an absorbing meeting with Murray on Friday.
In the other quarter-finals Ivan Ljubicic, the defending champion, won 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 against the belligerent German Philpp Kohlschreiber, and Stanislas Warwrinka of Switzerland, beat Agustin Calleri 6-3, 6-0.
A languid Ljubicic, the number four seed and defending champion, made heavy work of his match but upped his game in the third set to progress
He now faces Warwrinka, the world number 36 who he has beaten in all of their previous three matches.
Ljubicic is still on course for back-to-back titles [AFP] |