By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Sam Querrey erupted on a nine-game run dethroning defending Wimbledon champion Andy Murray in five sets to reach his first career Wimbledon semifinal.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
A dazed and hobbled Andy Murray was confounded by the onslaught as another ball buzzed by bounding off the back wall with an ominous thud.
Riding a massive serve and menacing return, Sam Querrey played Wimbledon giant killer for the second straight year.
Querrey clubbed 27 aces bursting through 12 of the final 14 games dethroning defending champion Murray, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-1, in charging into the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time in his career.
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"The whole tournament I've been a little bit sore," said Murray, who conceded he's been pained by the hip issue for a long time. "But I tried my best right to the end. You know, gave everything I had. I'm proud about that.
"But it's obviously disappointing to lose, you know, at Wimbledon. There's obviously an opportunity there. So I'm sad that it's over."
Slamming an ace out wide to close in style, the towering Californian closed with command winning 16 consecutive service points and 21 of his last 22 points on serve.
It was Querrey's third consecutive five-set victory following long-distance triumphs over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kevin Anderson.
"(I'm) really proud. It's an exciting moment," Querrey said. "Not many people get to play tennis professionally, let alone play at Wimbledon, play on Centre Court, play against Andy Murray. It's something that few people get to do, so it's really special."
The 24th-seeded Querrey will face 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic for a place in Sunday's final.
The seventh-seeded Cilic defeated Gilles Muller, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 on Court No. 1.
Contesting his 42nd career Grand Slam, Querrey made history for most major attempts by a man before reaching his first major final four.
“I’m still in a little bit of shock myself,” Querrey said afterward. “That last point I was so happy to hit the serve.
“I didn’t start my best. I kept with it, kept swinging away and really found my groove in the fourth and fifth sets and things went my way then.”
Querrey is the first American man to advance to a Grand Slam semifinal since 2009 Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick.
“It feels great,” Querrey told the BBC. “This a dream come true to be in the semifinals and to have it to be at Wimbledon makes it even more special.”
The towering Californian is a Wimbledon giant killer.
A year ago, a bold Querrey slammed 31 aces scoring a seismic 7-6 (6), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (5) third-round upset of reigning Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic on Court No. 1. For the second straight year, Querrey deconstructed a world No. 1 Wimbledon champion—and one of the best returners in the sport—and did it with unerring calm.
This triumph was even more commanding than Querrey’s dismissal of Djokovic, that started the Serbian’s fall from the top of the sport.
"I was probably a little more fired up today, especially in the fourth and fifth sets," Querrey said. "You know, there's a little more on the line. It was similar to last year, honestly. But this year just feels a little better than last year."
Querrey cracked 70 winners—more than doubling Murray’s 33 winners—schooling the Scot on the Centre Court he regards as a home court and silencing the pro-Murray crowd with an overpowering finishing kick.
Clutching his leg and hip between points, Murray seemed pained by the hip injury that plagued him since the start of grass-court season.
"I knew I wasn't going to do any major damage by playing," Murray said. "So obviously wanted to try, if possible, find a way at the end. Obviously it wasn't the case.
"Like I said, I mean, Sam served great. The end of the fourth set and fifth set, felt like he hardly missed any first serves. He was acing me pretty much every time. I wasn't getting enough power on my serve to put him in any bother there. So he was dictating all of the points."
During the final two sets, Murray was battered, gimpy and weary as Querrey crashed through nine straight games denying the top seed's bid to reach his eighth Wimbledon semifinal in the last nine years.
Empowered by a 25-match winning streak against American opponents, Murray seemed to be in charge up a set and a break, but his first serve deserted him, Querrey began drilling his backhand returns and the top seed could not slow the 28th-ranked American’s roll.
Blinking in his opening service game on Centre Court cost Querrey the first set.
A double fault and flailed forehand conspired against Querrey, who dropped the first seven points of the match.
That lapse empowered Murray, who slide an ace wide consolidating for 3-0.
From that point, Querrey settled in and played a strong first set winning seven of nine net points and showing some fine feel countering Murray drop shots.
Moving smoothly, Murray imposed his break-lead, winning 14 of 18 first-serve points in the opening set and finding the American’s weaker backhand wing at the right moments.
Following a forehand to net, Querrey knifed a sharp backhand volley into the corner for 30-all. Murray defused the uprising with a body serve and a deep drive coaxing a running forehand error to snatch a one-set lead after 28 minutes.
Even at 30-all in the third game, Querrey executed a surprise serve and volley perfectly then pumped his sixth ace for a 2-1 second-set lead.
A series of accurate returns earned Murray triple break point in the seventh game. Battling hard, Querrey fought off all three, including banging an aggressive second serve that actually landed wide but was not challenged, and eventually earned a game point.
Exploiting a net cord shot that sat up, Murray moved in quickly hammering a pass for a fourth break point. Rifling a backhand that rattled Querrey’s racquet, the top seed broke for 4-3.
Playing to become the first American man to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since Andy Roddick’s run to the 2009 Championships final, Querrey came right back to earn double break point in the following game. Drilling a deep return, the 29-year-old Californian came forward and tapped a high forehand volley breaking back.
Repeatedly missing his first serve, Murray paid the price pushing a backhand into the net off his back foot to face set point in the 10th game. Querrey could not capitalize netting a backhand.
A tight Murray, rattled by his inability to find the first serve, began a Novak Djokovic-style repeated ball-bouncing practice. The serving woes infected the rest of his game as Murray ballooned a wild forehand long to face a second set point.
Charging forward, Querrey crunched a backhand into the corner breaking for the second straight time to level the match after 66 minutes.
An attacking Querrey did fine work in the frontcourt winning 15 of 24 net trips to that point.
In the first game of the third set, Querrey made the mistake of challenging the Murray backhand with a drop volley. Racing forward, the Scot bunted a beautifully-angled backhand pass crosscourt breaking to open the third set.
Deploying the slice backhand wisely to make the 6-foot-6 American bend low, Murray breezed through a love hold for 4-2.
Opting to take a bit of pace off his first serve, Murray elevated his service percentage and hit the slider serve with sidespin forcing Querrey to stretch wide to the forehand on the deuce side.
The eighth game was glorious grass play from Murray who hopped in the air ladling a delicate half-volley winner then spun a running backhand pass down the line for 5-3.
Serving for the set, Murray ran into problems. Querrey banged an inside-out backhand return then drew a netted backhand for double break point. Creating open court with a diagonal backhand return, Querrey cranked a crosscourt backhand that stung the sideline breaking back for 5-all.
From love-30 down, Querrey reeled off four consecutive points for 6-5. Murray answered with a love hold setting the stage for a crucial third-set tie break.
Hustling behind the baseline, Murray threw up a desperation lob. Standing inside the service line, Querrey lined up a point-blank smash that he badly bungled into thde middle of the net. That grievous miscue left Querrey wincing at giving Murray the gift and a 3-1 tie break lead. Murray ran with the donation splattering a 120 mph ace down the middle—his ninth point of the last 10—for a handful of set points at 6-1.
Querrey fought off three set points, but Murray victimized him with the slice serve out wide again stamping a two-sets to one lead after one hour, 53 minutes.
Rising from his seat, Querrey blew open the match with a nine-game surge.
Sitting on the wide slice serve, Querrey ripped a forehand return for triple break point then pounded the ball down the line breaking at love for 2-1.
Handcuffing the champion with another twisting return into the body, Querrey rattled out a second straight break for 4-1. Querrey cruised through a 69-second hold confirming the break for 5-1.
Sloppy footwork left Murray lunging for some shots. The world No. 1 saved two set points but floated a forehand long for a third set point. Racing to his right, Querrey curled a forehand winner for his sixth straight game to force a fifth set.
A streaking Querrey opened the final set with his seventh straight game as Murray's energy and mobility dipped signifcantly.
Racing up to a drop shot, Querrey soared to snap off a high backhand volley for double break point. Murray saved the first with a risky drop shot, but paid the price for a soft serve as he short-armed a backhand wide as Querrey broke for the fourth time in a row snatching his eighth consecutive game for 2-0.
A confident Querrey won 12 of the first 14 points of the decisive set charging out to a 3-0 lead as the Centre Court crowd—and the masses on Murray mountain—grew eerily silent.
A gorgeous drop shot and thumping serve helped Murray finally stop his slide at nine games. Shaking his hip and leg between points, Murray barely made a move as Querrey crushed successive aces for his fourth straight love hold for 4-1.
At that point, a hobbled Murray went all in with the drop shot.
Querrey wasn’t fooled. Bursting out of the blocks, Querrey was up to a drop shot quickly, re-dropped Murray then read the reply nudging a forehand to break with a huge fist pump for 5-1.
Murray tripped a return off the tape giving Querrey triple match point.
One final jolting ace closed Querrey's two hour, 41-minute conquest.