TENNIS FRENCH OPEN:CHILE'S FERNANDO Gonzalez, who looks as if he has stepped out of the Pirates of the Caribbean, downed Andy Murray 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the French Open at the Philippe Chatrier stadium yesterday afternoon with the brand of swash and buckle that the 28-year-old Chilean has pretty much made his own.

There are few more exciting players to watch when his game is in full merciless sabre-rattling swing, and although Murray did his level best to dig in and hold firm it seemed he was always fighting a lost cause, particularly after dropping his serve early in the third set.

Murray has had a hugely encouraging clay court season, reaching the latter stages of tournaments in Monte Carlo and Madrid, and then this second week at Roland Garros for the first time in his short career. Obviously he was disappointed to lose, particularly as there was no Rafa Nadal to face in the last four had he won this match, but he was defeated by Gonzalez, a former Australian Open runner-up, playing at peak performance and with a huge experience on the surface.

Murray’s opening service game was a vivid indication of the difficulties that were about to come his way. He had done wonderfully well to win four matches here, but this was another significant step up in class. Gonzalez had reached two previous French Open quarter-finals, with eight of his 11 titles coming on clay. Here was a man in his comfort zone; Murray is learning fast, but still learning.

The Gonzalez forehand is a massive weapon on any surface, a red blooded stroke of thunderous intensity. It was to Murray’s great credit, and his prodigious defensive ability, that he often returned it, though the effort undoubtedly took its toll. And the Chilean is not a one-trick pony. Interspersed with the venom are moments of wonderful finesse.

One backhand, although perhaps mis-hit, dropped on Murray’s side of the court and spun back into the net before he could lay a racket on it. Here was a flash back to the former champion Manuel Santana, who often seemed to have the ball on a piece of string. Murray lost his serve in the eighth game, and after 40 minutes Gonzo was a set up.

It is the nature of his play that from time-to-time he makes the most colossal error or mis-hit, or loses his concentration. Murray bided his time in the second and pounced. Twice Gonzalez kicked the ball into the crowd in frustration, and although he saved three breaks points, Murray nailed the fourth. The momentum was back in his favour, and having levelled, the first set the Chilean had dropped, it was essential he made a good start to the third set. Instead, in a tight service game, he lost the initiative and his exuberance at drawing level faded sharply and decisively.

Murray appeals to the purist with his clever use of angles and variation of slice and topspin. On this occasion, with Gonzalez exploding the forehand and serving well too, everything in Murray’s game became more hurried. It was not that he was overpowered; simply that the effort of holding back the onslaught required a huge mental and physical effort.

He more or less allowed the third set to slide away, hoping to conjure up the sort of comeback he is so richly capable of. Again he dropped behind at 5-3, only to make an immediate response as Gonzalez stumbled as he saw the finishing line. Murray usually ups the pressure. Not this time. He lost his final service game tamely.

Earlier Swede Robin Soderling reached the semi-finals with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 drubbing of Russian 10th seed Nikolay Davydenko. The 23rd seeded Soderling, who created one of the biggest upsets in tennis when he handed top seed Rafael Nadal his first defeat at Roland Garros in the fourth round, started confidently.

After shrugging off a couple of break points, he raced through the first set in 23 minutes, with Davydenko, whom he beat in their two previous encounters on clay, claiming only 10 points.

In the second set, Soderling earned the first break for 3-1 with a bludgeoning forehand, the very same weapon that helped him against Nadal. With Davydenko constantly running from side to side chasing after Soderling’s winners it was barely surprising when he dropped his serve again to lose the second set.

The Swede continued to step confidently into the court in the third and was barely bothered on his service games by a clueless Davydenko. Soderling, who held serve throughout, wrapped up a straightforward win on his second match point with his fourth ace after one hour 41 minutes.

• Guardian Service