By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 13, 2016
Defending champion Andy Murray routed Kei Nishikori, 6-1, 6-4, to return to the gold-medal match for the second straight Olympics.
Photo credit: ITF Olympic Tennis
Two match points had come and gone and now Andy Murray was facing a bit of an identity crisis.
The gold medal champion found himself cast in the role of Olympic sprinter racing corner to corner chasing Kei Nishikori's drives.
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Nishikori had Murray right where he wanted him: On the stretch off the sideline when a lunging Murray poked an improbable backhand pass down the line plopping onto the seat of his shorts in the process.
Even when sitting down, Murray rose to the challenge.
The reigning gold medal champion survived a wild final game shredding Nishikori, 6-1, 6-4, and roaring into the Olympic final for the second straight time.
"It's obviously amazing to be in the final again," Murray told Bravo Network's Trenni Kusnierek. "I think both of us yesterday had long matches. Kei played a three-hour singles match. Mine was two hours, tie break in the third set and then I had mixed doubles afterward. Both of us came in feeling a bit weary. I think getting off to the start I did made a big difference.
"I just got a little bit lucky with passing shot at the end. I'm just really happy to be in the final again."
The second-ranked Murray stretched his winning streak to 17 matches in a performance that was both creative and convincing.
Murray has won 28 of his last 29 matches and already made history: He's the first defending gold-medal champion to reach the final in the following Games.
Tomorrow, he'll try to become the first man to successfully defend the Olympic gold medal.
Murray will meet either 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal or 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the final.
The man who defeated Roger Federer on the All England Club's Centre Court to win the 2012 gold carries an 11-match Olympic winning streak into the final.
Entertaining rallies are on tap when Murray plays Nishikori, but there's a reason why the rangy 6'3" Scot has dominated this match-up winning seven of their eight meetings. Murray is the bigger, stronger, athlete who put his expansive reach to good use in running rallies.
The Wimbledon champion's first serve is a more dangerous weapon: He served 76 percent, won 82 percent of his first-serve points and did not face a break point. A depleted Nishikori had to be feeling the strain from fighting off three match points to subdue Gael Monfils, 7 6 (4), 4 6, 7 6 (6) in yesterday's quarterfinals.
The fourth game brought out some of the best in both.
If you need a reminder of Nishikori's ball-control skills replay this game where he dished the drop shot-lob combination platter and curled a clever short-angled forehand digging out of a 0-30 hole.
Working his slice backhand to neutralize some of Nishikori's drives, Murray flipped from defense to offense drawing the error for break point. Stepping into a forehand drive down the line, he broke for 3-1.
Hit with a time violation warning from chair umpire Carlos Ramos, Murray questioned the call then regrouped. Thumping a backhand winner, he consolidated for 4-1 when Nishikori yanked a forehand into net.
Normally an immaculate ball striker, Nishikori jerked his best shot, the two-handed backhand, beyond the baseline to face another break point. A fine forehand stab volley kept Nishikori in the point, but Murray tested him with a lob into the sun. When Nishikori buried an overhead into the bottom of the net, Murray had the second break and a 5-1 advantage.
Slashing an ace out wide to end the 33-minute opener, Murray was one set from returning to the gold medal match. He neutered Nishikori's return game, serving 77 percent, winning 15 of 17 first-serve points and permitting just five points total on serve.
In each of his last two matches Murray had started strong only to suffer second-set lapses of concentration.
Through the first 45 minutes of play, some of Murray's stickiest situations came in verbal conflicts with chair umpire Ramos.
Ramos hit the world No. 2 with an unsportsmanlike conduct warning for a comment he made walking past the chair early in the second set.
"I didn't say 'stupid umpire' I said 'stupid umpiring'," Murray told Ramos during the changeover.
"You wanna be the star? That's fine," Murray said before cooling down gulping down some water.
The changeover drama didn't deter him from gaining triple break point. When Nishikori nudged a forehand drop shot into the middle of the net, Murray had the love break for 3-2. He consolidated at love.
Serving for the final, Murray netted a drop volley that watched Nishikori bolt a return winner by him for deuce.
One of the most electric points of the tournament ensued, a 21-shot blockbuster with Murray poking that off-balance backhand pass down the line landing on the seat of his shorts for a third match point.
When Nishikori netted a backhand, Murray grabbed his cap off his head and unleashed a primal scream. Murray has managed Olympic stress masterfully putting himself within one win of realizing a golden vision.
"It is different. All of the players will tell you that," Murray said of Olympic pressure. "I love the experience. There is extra pressure... But for me it helps me focus a little bit better."