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Andy Murray into Italian Open quarter-finals with win over Jürgen Melzer Andy Murray beats Jürgen Melzer to reach Italian Open quarter-finals
(34 minutes later)
Andy Murray has had worse birthdays. Two of them were spiritually and physically draining – when he had to quit a match for the only times in his career – while Thursday's here, his 27th, brought relief and encouragement, not to mention a strawberry cake heaving with enough calories to sink a gym.Andy Murray has had worse birthdays. Two of them were spiritually and physically draining – when he had to quit a match for the only times in his career – while Thursday's here, his 27th, brought relief and encouragement, not to mention a strawberry cake heaving with enough calories to sink a gym.
The lean-muscled Scot took not a celebrity slice, of course. He was, after all, getting ready to play the world No1 Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, a clash so rare that it took a quick squint at the record books again to confirm they had not met on court since Murray beat the Spaniard in the final in Tokyo in 2011, bagelling him in the final set.The lean-muscled Scot took not a celebrity slice, of course. He was, after all, getting ready to play the world No1 Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open, a clash so rare that it took a quick squint at the record books again to confirm they had not met on court since Murray beat the Spaniard in the final in Tokyo in 2011, bagelling him in the final set.
It was not just the bonhomie of a birthday away from home that brought a smile to Murray's face on Thursday but a return to something like his best clay tennis in a little while during a tricky 7-6, 6-4 win over the Austrian left-hander Jürgen Melzer.It was not just the bonhomie of a birthday away from home that brought a smile to Murray's face on Thursday but a return to something like his best clay tennis in a little while during a tricky 7-6, 6-4 win over the Austrian left-hander Jürgen Melzer.
As for those birthday blues, Murray winced when he recalled: "The two times I've had to retire on the tour have strangely been on my birthday. One of them I was up 5-1 against Filippo Volandri in Hamburg [in 2007] and the other was here when I was a set all [last year against Marcel Granollers] so it's nice to have a more pleasant experience on court." As for those birthday blues, Murray winced when he recalled: "The two times I've had to retire on the tour have strangely been on my birthday. One of them I was up 5-1 against Filippo Volandri in Hamburg [in 2007] and the other was here when I was a set all [last year against Marcel Granollers], so it's nice to have a more pleasant experience on court."
Yet, even as Murray's cake was being demolished at unseemly pace by obliging reporters, the nearby TV screen showed Nadal in the early stages of a third-round dog-fight with Mikhail Youzhny, down a set and 0-2 and looking distinctly out of sorts, much as he had done before being gifted the Madrid title on Sunday, when Kei Nishikori retired injured. Yet, even as Murray's cake was being demolished at unseemly pace by obliging reporters, the nearby TV screen showed Nadal in the early stages of a third-round dog-fight with Mikhail Youzhny, down a set and 0-2 and looking distinctly out of sorts, much as he had done before being handed the Madrid title on Sunday, when Kei Nishikori retired injured.
Murray, though, insisted he was keen for a Nadal victory (he had no cause to worry: the Spaniard found his rhythm and won 12 of the last 13 games to destroy the Russian 6-7, 6-2, 6-1). "It would not be a bad thing for me to play against Nadal," he said, "because I haven't played him for three years. I haven't practised with him hardly at all either. I used to practise with him quite a lot. So I would actually be quite interested to play against him before the French Open and Wimbledon, to see how his game has changed and also the things I can do to make it difficult for him. Murray, though, said he was keen for a Nadal victory (he had no cause to worry: the Spaniard found his rhythm and won 12 of the last 13 games to destroy the Russian 6-7, 6-2, 6-1). "It would not be a bad thing for me to play against Nadal," he said, "because I haven't played him for three years. I haven't practised with him hardly at all either. I used to practise with him quite a lot. So I would actually be quite interested to play against him before the French Open and Wimbledon, to see how his game has changed and also the things I can do to make it difficult for him.
"I'm sure there will be things also that won't work against him, that I'll need to change. So, better to play him now rather than in the French or at Wimbledon.""I'm sure there will be things also that won't work against him, that I'll need to change. So, better to play him now rather than in the French or at Wimbledon."
So, their 19th meeting in seven years on Tour rekindles a rivalry forged as teenagers in Spain, where their story began, the Mallorcan and the Scot, close enough to be regular hitting partners then fierce adversaries when the draw threw them together 15 times between 2008 and 2011, including a run of 10 events in a row when they were on the same side of the draw. Nadal leads 13-5. So their 19th meeting in seven years on Tour rekindles a rivalry forged as teenagers in Spain, where their story began, the Mallorcan and the Scot, close enough to be regular hitting partners then fierce adversaries when the draw threw them together 15 times between 2008 and 2011, including a run of 10 events in a row when they were on the same side of the draw. Nadal leads 13-5.
As for Nadal's continued struggle, the world No 1 said after seeing off Youzhny: "Get used to it. With the years, everybody suffers. It is part of the sport, part of everybody's career. It is normal in tennis. I will not suffer that much if I am serving for the set, but it was difficult [in the wind] today. You don't want to be that long on court, like yesterday, but these things happen. It was tough. Conditions today were impossible. As for Nadal's continued struggle, the world No 1 said after seeing off Youzhny: "Get used to it. With the years everybody suffers. It is part of the sport, part of everybody's career. It is normal in tennis. I will not suffer that much if I am serving for the set, but it was difficult [in the wind] today. You don't want to be that long on court like yesterday, but these things happen. It was tough. Conditions today were impossible.
"Tomorrow is going to be a very tough match. I am confident, but I have to do the right things to give myself a chance to win, play with more control, a little bit more speed. It's going to be hard, playing one of the best players in the world after two tough days. If I don't take my chances I am going to be spending the weekend in Mallorca." "Tomorrow is going to be a very tough match. I am confident but I have to do the right things to give myself a chance to win, play with more control, a little bit more speed. It's going to be hard, playing one of the best players in the world after two tough days. If I don't take my chances I am going to be spending the weekend in Mallorca."
Murray has always preferred the challenge of playing his peers, especially Nadal and Roger Federer rather than those below him in the rankings. For one, it keeps him sharp – and it also removes the "banana skin" factor that can disturb a sometimes delicate mind-set. Murray has always preferred the challenge of playing his peers, especially Nadal and Roger Federer rather than those below him in the rankings. For one it keeps him sharp – and it also removes the "banana skin" factor that can disturb a sometimes delicate mind-set.
"Obviously you want to be playing against the best players. If you are, it means you're in the latter stage of the tournament, and that's where you want to be. I played against most of them close to 20 times [each], so it's just a bit strange not to have played the best player in the world just now for such a long period of time. We used to always get drawn in the same side of the draw as well. It was ridiculous." "Obviously you want to be playing against the best players. If you are, it means you're in the latter stage of the tournament and that's where you want to be. I played against most of them close to 20 times [each], so it's just a bit strange not to have played the best player in the world just now for such a long period of time. We used to always get drawn in the same side of the draw as well. It was ridiculous."
Murray said he has noticed minute changes in Nadal's game, although he wisely kept the public analysis to a minimum. "I think the thing is the confidence. For example, his forehand looks similar to me but he was returning pretty short this week; when he is confident he tends to return a lot deeper. He has made some changes to his backhand during his career, so that might be the shot that breaks down a little more and you lose confidence in it – but I don't see major changes in his game. Maybe he didn't play his best tennis in parts of Rome and Monte Carlo, but he looked pretty damn good last week." Murray said he has noticed minute changes in Nadal's game, although he wisely kept the public analysis to a minimum. "I think the thing is the confidence. For example, his forehand looks similar to me but he was returning pretty short this week; when he is confident he tends to return a lot deeper. He has made some changes to his backhand during his career, so that might be the shot that breaks down a little more and you lose confidence in it – but I don't see major changes in his game. Maybe he didn't play his best tennis in parts of Rome and Monte Carlo but he looked pretty damn good last week."
As we hoovered up the last crumbs of his cake, Murray reflected on the demands of his calling, and he remains refreshingly upbeat, not at all ground down by the routine or the physical sacrifices, of which there are many. "To be honest, it's not that tough. The only thing that is hard is spending a lot of time away from family. The rest of it? Great hotels, we go to the best cities in the world and the one thing tennis has given me is the opportunity to see the whole world, which I might not have been doing at my age if it wasn't for tennis. As we hoovered up the last crumbs of his cake, Murray reflected on the demands of his calling and he remains refreshingly upbeat, not at all ground down by the routine or the physical sacrifices, of which there are many. "To be honest, it's not that tough. The only thing that is hard is spending a lot of time away from family. The rest of it? Great hotels, we go to the best cities in the world and the one thing tennis has given me is the opportunity to see the whole world, which I might not have been doing at my age if it wasn't for tennis.
"You do need to work very hard to stay at the top and you need a willingness to learn and keep improving. Guys get better and if you only want to put in an hour-and-a-half on the court a day and not do any of the physical work and just go through the motions, that's when it gets close to the end." "You do need to work very hard to stay at the top and you need a willingness to learn and keep improving. Guys get better and, if you only want to put in an hour and a half on the court a day and not do any of the physical work and just go through the motions, that's when it gets close to the end."