Murray races into Doha tennis final
DOHA (AFP) — Andy Murray set himself up as favourite to win the fourth title of his career when he beat top-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-3 to reach the Qatar Open final for the second successive time on Friday.
It was also the second time in a row that the 20-year-old Briton has beaten Davydenko here. But whereas last year it was a surprise this time the third-seeded Murray always seemed the likely winner after he had broken back.
From 1-3 down he progressed steadily to 5-4 with a subtle pattern of pace change and spin variation which either lured Davydenko into over-hitting or set up chances to counter-attack strongly if his opponent pressed even a fraction rashly.
Murray was on top through most of the second set, breaking for 3-1 and opening up more with some bigger serves and a few net attacks of his own.
"It was good," said Murray. "I had to do a lot of running, as I always do against him. He hits the ball hard from the back and I had to break up his rhythm."
Murray was also keen to set the record straight because of reports a few weeks ago which appeared to suggest he was saying Davydenko was guilty of illegal betting.
He tapped the Russian on the shoulder as they left the court, spoke a few words, and later made it clear what he had said.
"What was reported made it seem that I was having a go at him and saying that he was betting on matches," Murray said. "And that's unfair, especially to so good a player as him.
"I would never say that till someone was found guilty, and so far there has been a long investigation and nothing has come out of it.
"I just cleared that up with him because I didn't think it was fair and it is a pretty difficult time for him.
"If I was in a situation where two or three players said he is guilty, he is guilty, it wouldn't feel great, and I never said that. And I never intended to make it seem he was guilty because it doesn't make sense. He is doing well for himself."
Murray now has a final against Stanislas Wawrinka, the unseeded world number 36 from Switzerland who caused a surprise by beating Ivan Ljubicic, the defending champion from Croatia.
Wawrinka's 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 win was his first in four attempts against his big-serving opponent means that Ljubicic had failed to reach a final in the first week of a new season for the first time in five years.
"But I will take getting to the semi-finals," said Ljubicic. "When I laid a racket on the ball I hit it pretty well, and he played very well, that's all."
Ljubicic, the former world number three, has his eye on reclimbing the top 20 and on bigger battles ahead at the Australian Open in ten days time.
By contrast it was one of the most important wins of the career of the 22-year-old from St Barthelemy who has operated more than any other player in the shadow of Roger Federer and had only previously reach two ATP Tour finals.
The pivotal moments came in the tie-break when Ljubicic lost two successive points on his serve from 1-2 to 1-4. The first came when Wawrinka played a neat drop to bring Ljubicic in and passed him comfortably with a forehand down the line; the second saw Wawrinka play a short angled slice which extracted a forehand driving error from Ljubicic.
Thereafter the pressure was much more on the champion, who was serving second and playing catch-up throughout the second set, while Wawrinka seemed free of some of the mental uncertainties which sometimes hinder him.
"I was happy with my game - this was the first time I found a solution to playing him," said Wawrinka. "Before it was difficult for me against him. But I focused hard in the tie-break and played very well. It was my best tennis."
