By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 13, 2016
Andy Murray mastered a whipping wind and tricky David Goffin, 6-1, 7-5, to reach the Rome semifinals for the first time in five years.
Photo credit: Internazionali BNL d'Italia
The day after David Goffin dished out a double bagel, Andy Murray delivered a case of competitive indigestion to the Belgian.
Murray mastered both a whipping wind and the tricky Goffin, 6-1, 7-5, to reach the Rome semifinals for the first time in five years.
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The second-seeded Scot won six straight games to snatch the first set. Murray scored seven service breaks, including four breaks in the second set, to roll into his fourth semifinal of the season.
The Madrid runner-up will meet lucky loser Lucas Pouille for a spot in Sunday's final.
The 52nd-ranked Frenchman advanced to his first career Masters semifinal when Juan Monaco conceded a walkover. Monaco upset reigning Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka in two hours, 24 minutes yesterday.
The son of a tennis coach, Goffin dissected Tomas Berdych with clinical precision in just 48 minutes yesterday delivering the first double bagel to a Top 10 player since Roger Federer fed former French Open champion Gaston Gaudio a shutout at the 2005 ATP World Tour Finals.
An aggressive Goffin forced play at the start today zapping a forehand winner and knifing a high backhand volley to break at love.
It was the 15th consecutive game Goffin won following his straight-sets sweep of Jack Sock and double-bagel dismissal of Berdych.
The two primary problems for Goffin in this match-up:
1. Murray feasts on the Belgian's short second serve.
2. The two-time Grand Slam champion is the bigger, stronger athlete and hits a heavier ball.
An inability to solve those problems is why Goffin is winless in 10 sets against Murray.
Stepping in on the Belgian's second serve, Murray bashed a backhand return winner breaking back.
That sparked a run of 12 straight points from the Scot, who backed up a love hold breaking the Belgian at love with an exquisite backhand drop shot for 3-1. Repeatedly tormenting Goffin with the drop shot, Murray won 14 of 15 points extending the lead to 4-1.
When Goffin stuck a forehand into net, Murray had steamrolled through his sixth straight game roaring through the set in 27 minutes and leaving the 12th seed looking like a lost tourist.
It took Goffin 32 minutes to finally hold serve. His love hold started the second set with a more promise. Anticipating a Murray drop shot, Goffin was quick off the mark and had an answer, eventually breaking for 3-1.
Hitting heavier, Murray broke back then stamped a quick hold to level. When the dust settled from three consecutive breaks, Murray had a 5-4 lead and served for the semifinals.
Goffin wasn't finished. Masterfully jerking Murray around with an angled drop shot and volley to start the game, he slid into a smooth forehand pass to score the sixth break of the set for 5-all.
When Goffin erased a third break point in the 11th game, a frustrated Murray wound up and cracked his racquet against the sole of his shoe. Goffin saved a fourth break point. The wind was kicking up sheets of red clay by then leaving both players squinting through a haze at times.
Navigating the blustery conditions and a nine-and-a-half minute game, Murray drained the seventh break of the set for 6-5.
Murray, who has won 10 of his last 12 matches, has yet to surrender a set this week. He'll try to sustain the roll against Pouille.