Murray and Federer to clash again
Andy Murray looking to defend his title
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Thursday, 08, Jan 2009 10:05
Andy Murray will lock horns with Roger Federer again after he beat Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky in the quarter-finals of the Qatar Open.
The defending champion was pushed all the way in the first set but ran away with the second to complete a fairly comfortable 6-4 6-2 victory.
Murray started the match well and broke early to take a 2-1 lead, but the Scot failed to capitalise on the advantage and was broken straight back.
Stakhovsky, who won his first ATP tour title in Zagreb last month, showed his qualities in the first set as he came up with a number of stunning back-hand winners and clever drop shots. The Ukrainian matched the world number four to get to 4-4.
But a slight moment of controversy changed the game. Murray was given an official warning by the umpire for allegedly getting coached by Miles Maclagan during the match. Murray was clearly irritated by this, but directed his anger the right way and crucially broke in the next game. He served out to take the set.
It was one-way traffic in the next set as Murray surged to a 5-0 lead and though he was broken, the British number one took the set easily 6-2.
Murray will now face Federer – a man he beat last week in the exhibition in Abu Dhabi – in the semi-finals.