Those fears vanished in a high-quality opening set in which Murray was dragged into an epic 22-point tiebreak despite forging ahead with an early break of serve.
Advertisement
Despite Tsonga’s best efforts to come back from two sets down, Andy Murray would take control of the fifth set by winning the first five games. The Glasgow native outlasted Tsonga as they went the full five sets with a 7(12)-6(10), 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
Murray showed the grit of a champion as he battled his way past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday to reach another semi-final at the All England Club.
On Friday he will face the 6ft 5in 2010 finalist Berdych and will be hoping he can reach his third Wimbledon final.
Still only 29, and apparently at the peak of his powers, the statistical milestones could come thick and fast for Murray, who was for so long the fourth member of the Big Four featuring Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. He was returning better and he mixed it up well and credit to him for fighting back into match.
The first set was just as close as their previous record anticipated.
He is playing the best tennis of his career, better than 2012, when he broke through at the Olympics then Flushing Meadows, better than in 2013, when he won Wimbledon with a bad back.
Murray rallied impressively in the decider, screaming out to his box “there’s no way I’m losing this match” before making good on his rallying call. So when he held a break point in the opening game, things were looking bleak for Murray.
And the buzz as Murray and Tsonga knocked up felt more like an echo of the roars sounding out 10 minutes before than an expression of anticipation.
After his 27th successive victory over Frenchmen at Grand Slam tournaments Murray is through to his 20th Grand Slam semi-final and his seventh here.
So was the large crowd outside Court No. 1 on Murray Mound when the last shot was struck.
“Well, it’s definitely tough for me to go first time in the semis, especially in this kind of a match where I’m not playing against a player that is first time in the courts”.
Czech Berdych ended Frenchman’s Lucas Pouille’s unexpected love-affair with Wimbledon, grinding out a 7-6 6-3 6-2 win to reach his sixth grand slam semi-final. Finally, after 21 games, Murray took the set with a backhand volley victor.
He emerged for the fifth set with energy renewed.
Tsonga, like Murray, was setting national records along the way, too: He now had more Major match-wins than any other Frenchman. “I’m happy that I have another shot at him”, said the Canadian.
Amid political and economic uncertainty and the end of Wales’ Euro 2016 run, Murray was told by a reporter he was the nation’s last hope.
Andy Murray wins five consecutive games to start the second set, putting himself in a position to win set point nearly immediately out the gate.
Fans walking through the grounds after the match backed him to go all the way.
“Then knowing that I had a week in between, if I get through the first week at Wimbledon, who knows”. It was Murray who took the breaker 12-10 having saved three set points and had three of his own saved.
Advertisement
Federer’s greatness remains one of the most glorious things in sports, and also one of the most unanimously agreed upon. Obviously I ran away with the second but he fought really hard right to the end and it was a great match that can give me a bit of confidence in the next couple of rounds.’ The support of the crowd was the key.
