Wimbledon - Men:Andy Murray will meet Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon semi-final on Friday after the two came through vastly differing matches at the All England club today. The Scot reached the last four this afternoon with a relatively straight forward three-set win over Juan Carlos Ferrero but the American needed five gruelling sets to beat dogged Australian Lleyton Hewitt.
The big-server got the better of the former champion 6-3 6-7 (10/12) 7-6 (7/1) 4-6 6-4 to return to the last four in SW19 for the first time since 2005.
Roddick raced into a 3-0 lead and duly served out the first set 6-3, but Hewitt responded by breaking Roddick for the first time to lead 3-1 in the second set before the American forced a tie-break.
Roddick held set point three times but on each occasion was unable to return a good serve from the former world number one. Hewitt levelled the match when the American sent a forehand long.
The third set also went to a tie-break but this one proved to be a disaster for the Australian, who lost seven straight points to lose it 7-1.
As the fourth set began Hewitt was clearly struggling with the recurrence of a thigh injury sustained during Monday's fourth-round win over Radek Stepanek. It particularly affected him when serving and he was quickly 2-0 down.
Showing that trademark fighting spirit, however, the 2002 champion stormed back by claiming the next three games and his fightback gathered pace in the 10th game with Roddick serving to stay in the set.
The American drifted a slice wide and the match was all square.
The decider began with a 14-minute game which eventually resulted in Hewitt holding. The tension rose as the set progressed on serve and the key moment came with Hewitt serving at 4-4.
Roddick produced an excellent forehand which dropped right at Hewitt's feet. The Aussie did well to get the ball back in play but Roddick was onto in a flash to hit a winning pass.
Roddick served out, clinching victory with a little help from the net cord.
Murray started slowly soon raised his level to post a 7-5 6-3 6-2 victory over former world number one Ferrero.
"I'm very happy to come through in straight sets because I had a long one the round before,'' said Murray. "To get to the semi-finals for the first time is nice and I'll try my best to go further.
"There were quite a lot of errors from both of us at the start. I served very well but from the back of the court it was very very hot out there today and quick, so there were quite a few mistakes early in the match.
"Once I got the first set I started to settle down and I returned great at the end.''
Both players stood firm on serve until the 12th game. Ferrero managed to save one set point but on the second he produced a disastrous double fault to give Murray a one-set lead.
Ferrero was not disheartened though and he made a flying start to set two. A fine crosscourt forehand took him to 15-40 on the Murray serve and although the Briton saved the first break point with a big serve, he netted a backhand on the second to slip behind.
There would have been some concerns among the partisan crowd as the score progressed to 3-1, but at that stage Murray suddenly picked up his intensity and Ferrero was unable to cope.
From 1-3 deuce, Murray went on a remarkable run take saw him claim 20 of the next 21 points and he took the set 6-3, finishing it with an ace.
Ferrero, the 2003 French Open champion, was left facing a mountain to climb and it was a challenge was not up to.
Returning superbly, Murray broke Ferrero's serve again in the fifth game of the third set.
Ferrero saved two break points, the second with a wonderful drop shot, but the third seed created another chance and took it with lovely forehand down the line.
A second break - this one to love - left Murray serving for the match and moments later it was all over. The players had been on court just an hour and 41 minutes.