By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, November 6, 2015
Andy Murray held off Richard Gasquet, 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3, to advance to the BNP Paribas Masters Paris semifinals for the first time.
Photo credit: Corinne Dubreuil/FFT
Richard Gasquet went airborne for a flying volley at one point.
Andy Murray stuck the landing on critical points.
Murray brought buzz-kill commitment to deny Gasquet—and French fans supporting the home hope—with an entertaining 7-6 (7), 3-6, 6-3 decision that sent him into his first BNP Paribas Masters Paris semifinal.
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It was the 11th consecutive quarterfinal win for Murray, who raised his record to 12-2 in quarterfinals this season.
The second-seeded Scot will play either 2012 Paris champion David Ferrer or 13th-seeded John Isner for a place in Sunday's final.
The 10th meeting between Murray and Gasquet offered both grinding corner-to-corner exchanges and popping stretches of shot-making from both men.
Ultimately, Murray countered Gasquet's flash by taking the first strike to rally from a break down in the decisive set.
Murray wasted no time asserting his return game. Pouncing on a return, Murray angled a backhand winner for triple break point. Gasquet's running forehand into the net gave up the first break in the second game.
The second seed struggled to land his first serve during a demanding third game that waged on for 13 minutes. Murray fended off three break points before holding for 3-0.
Murray's serve went away in the seventh game and Gasquet made him pay. Stepping into the court he snapped a backhand return down the line for break point. When Murray netted a forehand, Gasquet broke back for 3-4, winning nine of the last 11 points.
Trailing 1-3 in the tie break, Gasquet tuned it up. He won five of the next seven points for a set point. Murray snuffed it out curling a slick backhand slice down the line for 6-all.
On Murray's second set point, he deployed the drop shot-lob combination to send the Frenchman fleeing. Murray snapped off a second smash to seize the 75-minute opener.
A two-time Wimbledon semifinalist, Gasquet has the skills to play all-court tennis. Too often, he's content to hang five to seven feet behind the baseline giving himself the time and space to unleash his sweeping one-handed backhand. His low toss and quick action service motion makes Gasquet's serve tough to read and he can hit all areas of the box to set up his first volley. Sliding a serve down the T, the home favorite held for a 3-2 second-set advantage.
Wrong-footing Murray with a forehand volley down the line, Gasquet eventually broke for 4-2 on a Murray forehand error.
Terrific timing makes Gasquet a smooth ball striker. He hit a swirling full-swing forehand volley and followed tomahawking his fourth ace for 5-2. Launching up on serve, Gasquet cranked another ace close the 39-minute set and force a final set.
The start of the third set was a bit of a thrill ride.
Murray saved a break point with a forehand volley to hold in the opener. Gasquet went airborne for a forehand stab volley, scrambled to his feet, but missed his favorite shot, the backhand, to fall to break point. Gasquet answered with a huge backhand winner and ace, eventually holding for 1-all.
Empowered, Gasquet smacked a forehand return winner on the stretch breaking for 2-1.
It was a short-lived lead.
Regaining court positioning, Murray stepped in and drove a deep return to break back, starting a run that saw him reel off five of the final six games.
Two primary problems plagued Gasquet down the stretch. He gave up more ground behind the baseline and a scrappy Murray refused to give up on any point.
Gasquet made a stand saving three break points in the eighth game. Murray dragged him forward with an angled dropper for a fourth break point. Draining an error from the typically fluid one-handed backhand, Murray broke for 5-3.
Murray served out his seventh victory in 10 meetings with the Frenchman at love. Murray, who is 58-0 when winning the first set this season, advanced to his 12th semifinal of the season.