Greg Garber joined ESPN in 1991 and provides reports for NFL Countdown and SportsCenter.
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Murray was a four-set victor both times on the grass of the All England Club and given Tsonga’s lack of matches of late and the current form of the Scot it seems unlikely that Jo will knock Andy off his perch on Wednesday afternoon.
But then they staged their own mega-melodrama, going the thrilling five-set distance themselves.
After the match resumed, Kuznetsova did not take a game. “I must be doing something right to have equalled his wins”, a modest Murray told reporters, after surviving a Tsonga fightback to triumph 7-6 (10) 6-1 3-6 4-6 6-1.
Murray looked to have done the hard work when he saved three set points on his way to clinching a dramatic opening tie-break after 77 minutes.
Having won his first four matches in straight sets, Murray was pushed to the brink. “I managed to get the break at 6-5 but it was very tight up to that point”, explained Murray.
Murray has beaten Berdych in their last four meetings, but before that the Czech led their head-to-head record 6-4. “Missed a ball that was nearly inside the service box”, Murray said.
While Serena continues to be one of the most dominating players in women’s tennis, Venus has failed to live upto the expectations in the last several years. He came up with some great shots.
Using data from grass-court matches over the last three years, we have worked out that Murray has a 69.2 per cent chance of beating the Frenchman, which would extend his career record over him to 13-2.
Murray was thrilled with the way he handled the decider, and added: “I’m happy I’m through to the semis, it’s time to go and rest and get ready for the next one”.
Lleyton Hewitt, 2002 Wimbledon champion: “Tsonga made Murray come up with his best tennis”.
The 29-year-old Murray already made his mark in 2013, becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.
Pouille had not won a match on grass prior to this tournament, but both he and Querrey are now through to their first grand slam quarterfinals. It was a long day for them with a lot of long matches.
Pat Cash, 1987 Wimbledon champion: “At two sets to love you are not going to beat Andy Murray unless he has a real collapse”.
Murray had been seeded to face defending champion Djokovic in Sunday’s final. He served first in that fifth set and that’s why the first game was crucial.
“I woke up this morning and played computer games. So it was great on so many levels”.
The first four games on Centre Court went with serve before Murray got a vital break in the fifth, bringing up break point with a backhand cross-court victor before Tsonga tamely double-faulted. He started to find the rhythm on his serve and, finally, converted his third set point.
This test may prove beneficial to Murray’s mental sharpness as he enters the business end of the tournament.
He’s clearly more of the man for the big moments than Querrey, a veteran making his first appearance in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
After losing the fourth set from 4-2 up, Murray could have imploded with one of his tantrums, but instead he brought the crowd back into the match.
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“Obviously he’s a big powerful guy who serves well and when he is dictating the points, he hits a big, big ball”.
