Andy Murray defiantly insisted his grand slam prospects are better than ever after Andy Roddick ended his Wimbledon run.
The British number one was a hot favourite to beat his American rival and go on to face Roger Federer in the final, but Roddick produced one of the best performances of his life to triumph 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/5) in the semi-finals.
Murray was playing in his first Wimbledon semi-final and hoping to reach his second grand slam final, after losing to Federer at the US Open last autumn, and he put a brave face on the defeat - making this summer's US Open his next target for glory.
The 22-year-old said: "The way that I played this year it was very, very close to getting to the final.
"If I give myself those sort of opportunities and keep playing well, and my consistency in the grand slams the last year or so has been much, much better - a final, a semi and a quarter - I'm going to give myself opportunities to do it.
"I believe I can win a grand slam, whether it's Wimbledon or US Open or Australia or whatever, I'm going to give myself chances.
"I'll come back next year and try to do better."
Murray, who had beaten Roddick in six of their eight previous meetings, was happy with his performance and praised his opponent for a brilliant display.
The sixth seed's first-serve percentage was 75% - compared to only 52% for Murray - while the Scot could only take advantage of two of his seven break points in the three-hour match.
"I thought I played well," said Murray.
"If you look at the stats, I hit more winners, less unforced errors, more aces.
"I'm sure the points that we won were very, very similar. It just came down to a few points here or there on his serve.
"And he served really, really well. Hitting at that pace, at such a high percentage, sometimes there's not a whole lot you can do with that.
"The last few slams that I've lost, I've come up against some guys that have played great, great tennis.
"Mentally, for me, I've got much better at it, understanding that guys can do that against you. That's happened to me a few times now in slams.
"I need to keep making sure I bring my best game to the court in every match."
Murray has a break of five weeks until his next tournament and he insisted he will have no problem getting over today's loss.
"I'll move on very, very quickly and go and work on my game and improve and come back stronger," he said.
"That's a pathetic attitude to have, if you lose one match and you go away and let it ruin your year.
"I've had a very good year so far. I'm very close to the top of the game. The US Open I've always said is my best surface, my best chance to win a slam, and I'll give it my best shot there."
Serena Williams attacks the net during her semi-final match in the Ladies Doubles.
“Are you ready to get out of here (laughter)?”
With just two days ago until the end of Wimbledon 2009, Serena Williams has clearly had enough of press conferences.
“What would my advice be? I won't be giving them any advice because I'll be heading home tonight.”
Andy, if you are looking for tips about how to contend with Roger Federer, beaten semi-finalist Tommy Haas is probably not the best man to go to.
“Trying to achieve the fifth straight Wimbledon, equaling Borg's record. For some reason that meant the world to me. I was like in a bubble for two weeks, just trying to achieve it.”
We are glad Roger Federer was able to burst that bubble in time to come back and try and win a sixth Wimbledon title.
“I think it's been very good. I did better than I ever had before. I had some very good matches. And, you know, I thought I played good tennis.”
Andy Murray gives a summary of his Wimbledon 2009
“I believe I can win a Grand Slam, whether it's Wimbledon or US Open or Australia or whatever, I'm going to give myself chances.”
And a dose of positivity thrown in for good measure too. See you next year Andy Murray.
“She didn't really know much about tennis, so she thought I was playing real great (laughter). She thought I looked cute in the shorts.”
Andy Roddick gives an insight into wife Brooklyn Decker's world of tennis.
“I've developed a little bit of rapport with the fans. Maybe you guys helping me by asking me a bunch of goofy questions and me giving a bunch of goofy answers.”
1st Round: Roddick serves up strong start Andy Roddick d. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3 Andy Roddick’s reputation as one of the strongest and fastest servers in the game was underlined yet again as he powered down 21 aces during a four set win over France’s Jeremy Chardy. Roddick lays low and stays focused
2nd Round: Powerful Roddick too strong for Kunitsyn Andy Roddick d. Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 There were no fancy jackets, no monogrammed shirts or waistcoats and very little by way of fanfare but nevertheless, Andy Roddick stated his intent at The Championships with another four-set win, this time over Igor Kunitsyn, to reach the third round.
3rd Round: Roddick too good for Melzer Andy Roddick d. Jurgen Melzer (26) (AUT) 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-3 Eight times before today they have met, and eight times the American has triumphed. This match was no exception to the rule, the number six seed securing his place in Monday’s last 16 with a comprehensive win over the Austrian. Quick-witted Roddick raises a smile
4th Round: Roddick serves his way past Berdych Andy Roddick d. Tomas Berdych (20) (CZE) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-3 Roddick turned Berdych’s form upside down in his win. Berdych had come into the last 16 without dropping a set, something he had not achieved in a Grand Slam since 2007. Roddick praises next opponent Hewitt
Quarter-final: Ace Roddick surges past Hewitt Andy Roddick d. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4 Andy Roddick called himself just an “old married dude” but he gave his younger semi-final opponent Andy Murray plenty to think about with his five-set victory over Lleyton Hewitt. High-five for Roddick ahead of semi Semi-Final Preview: Murray v Roddick
Semi-final: Roddick blasts past Murray Andy Roddick d. Andy Murray (3) (GBR) 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-5) Three years after his last appearance in a Grand Slam final, Andy Roddick broke the hearts of the Centre Court crowd by defeating home favourite Andy Murray in a tremendous display of intelligent tennis.
Andy Roddick is caught in mid-air during his semi-final as he returns the ball to Andy Murray
Three years after his last appearance in a Grand Slam final, Andy Roddick broke the hearts of the Centre Court crowd by defeating the home favourite Andy Murray in a tremendous display of intelligent tennis.
Murray, not at his best, could not find a way to break down Roddick’s serve, and the American won through to the third Wimbledon final of his career 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-5) in three hours and seven minutes. He will face the five-times champion Roger Federer, to whom he lost the finals of 2004 and 2005.
Roddick laid down his marker in the first set. He played with great discipline, attacking only at the right moments. Displaying an almost contradictory brand of patient aggression, he permitted Murray very little to work with.
Of course the number six seed’s game was also peppered with the regulation number of aces, and serves in the neighbourhood of 140mph. At 5-4 with the set on serve, he pounced with an attacking rally to bring up 30-all, and then a beautifully judged dropshot. It was not only the first break point of the match, but set point to boot.
No wonder his new coach Larry Stefanki showed his delight with enthusiastic applause. A long rally followed, with Roddick forcing the error from Murray. The set belonged to the American, and never mind that he had produced barely half as many outright winners as Murray. Both men left the Centre Court for that most useful of tennis pauses, the comfort break.
But not for nothing did Murray come into this match leading Roddick 6-2 in their career encounters, including all of the last three, along with their only previous Wimbledon meeting in 2006. He was bidding to become the first British man to make the final here since 1938, and if he was frustrated by the outcome of the opening set, then it showed at once when Roddick served at the start of the second.
With the first point Murray produced a thunderous crosscourt shot. Next came a narrow angled running forehand as he sprinted to reach a Roddick dropshot, to take him to 0-30 for the first time on Roddick’s serve. Then it was a backhand down the line to leave Roddick stranded, and finally a forced error to break the American to love. At 4-3 Murray almost wobbled but would not permit Roddick to convert the threat, and screamed at himself to keep it going. He did.
At the start of the third it seemed Murray would repeat that early break of the second. In no time he was at 0-40 on Roddick’s serve. But crucially Roddick saved all three, the third with a great diving backhand volley that Murray could not reach.
Roddick, sweat dripping from his cap, pushed on hard in the next game, threatening to bring up break point without quite managing. At 2-1 Roddick capitalised on Murray’s weak second serve, and this game soon had the feel of one that was vital for the Scot to hold on to. But he could not, although Roddick required four break points before he could finally breach Murray’s defences for 3-1.
Murray was livid with himself, and became further irritated in the next game when umpire Pascal Maria gave him a warning for an audible obscenity that no one else at courtside heard. Typically of someone already irritated by other matters, Murray debated the point too long with Maria, continuing the argument during the changeover.
It felt very much as if Roddick was suddenly in control, and he upped the pace even more at 5-2, pushing to break so that he could start the fourth on his own serve. Murray managed to stop that – and then out of nowhere, as Roddick was serving for the set he tightened up.
Two errors and a fabulous crosscourt pass gave the Scot three break points; another error did the job and Murray punched the air, shouting: “Yes!” The set went on to a tiebreak, but Murray alternated between outrageous winners and pressured mistakes. The two traded set points before Roddick forced the mistake from Murray that gave him the set.
Murray, occasionally feeling his right knee, was clearly not serving as well as he had in previous rounds. He was hanging on, but there was no getting away from the fact that Roddick was playing exceptionally well.
A break point for Murray at 4-3 went by. Come the tiebreak and Roddick’s brilliant serving allowed no way through. A Murray backhand floated wide to give Roddick two match points. A fabulous passing shot form Murray saved the first but he could not rescue the second. Roddick sank to his knees, as if unable to believe events, and then generously applauded the Centre Court crowd.
Dinara Safina getting fired up on Centre Court during her quarter-final against Sabine Lisicki.
It is not often that a player ranked number one in the world, who is also the number one seed, goes into a Grand Slam semi-final as the out-and-out underdog. Such is the case for Dinara Safina, when she faces the defending champion Venus Williams for a place in Saturday’s Wimbledon final.
One glance at the background statistics is enough to clarify the reason why. Williams, now 29, has seven Slam titles to her name, including five on the lawns of the All England Club. She has appeared in seven previous Wimbledon semi-finals and won all of them. Not only has she not dropped a set so far this Wimbledon, she has not dropped a set here since the third round in 2007, putting her currently on 32 consecutive sets won.
She is, of course on this surface, serving faster than Safina and winning more of her first serve points. She has served more aces and far fewer double faults.
All that makes tough reading for 23-year-old Safina, who is struggling with the unwanted fact of being world number one at a time when she has yet to win a Grand Slam title – although this year she has been runner-up in both Slams to date.
The good news for the Russian is that she cannot be dethroned from that number one spot when the new rankings come out next Monday, no matter what happens between now and then. But by making the semi-final here she is carving out new territory, having never even ventured into the second week before. Both her last two rounds were tough three-setters, and to those who have watched her play it has seemed as if she is desperately trying to talk herself into a convincing mindset with every stroke of the ball.
“I have never got so far here before so I’m happy,” insisted Safina. “I’m taking one match at a time and at the moment it’s working.”
But Safina needs something extraordinary to happen for it to continue working against Venus. She trails 2-1 in their career encounters to date, all of which have taken place in the last year. But she can take heart from the fact that she beat Williams in their most recent encounter, in Rome on clay this spring.
“This is definitely Venus’s best surface,” acknowledged Safina. “She loves playing here. I have nothing to lose. I want to go and play the way I can play. I beat her in Rome so I know what she’s doing, I know her weapons. I have my weapons too. I cannot have a slow start with her because here it’s so fast. So I have to really go on court pumped from the first point. I’m still learning. I still have room to improve.”
She will especially have to improve her double fault count. Safina herself said she served “250” in her quarter-final against Sabine Lisicki, although it was actually 15. But Venus has delivered just 10 throughout the entire tournament. Yet for all but her first round match Williams has played with a heavy strapping on her left knee – the one she pushes off during service – and has been cagey answering questions about it, careful to give away little about the precise problem and how it is affecting her. Judging by her performances, the answer to that query is not at all.
“Do I feel invincible here?” smiled Venus. “I’d like to say yes, but I really do work at it. Against Safina, all I can predict is more of the same stuff I’ve been doing. Just very aggressive. I think she definitely plays aggressively, tries to move forward when she can, and also plays good defence and tries to take advantage of serving well when she can.
"She definitely has a good mix of both aggressive and defensive games, and that’s a good balance. I do have strategy. Maybe it doesn’t look like it, but I think that’s my secret weapon – that it doesn’t look like I’m thinking, but I am.”
It was put to Venus that on paper the number one seed should be favourite, making her the underdog. So is that how she feels?
“She [Safina] has top ranking but I have more experience in this tournament and more success,” replied Venus. “When I go out there I’m going to feel like I want to make it happen on my side of the net.”
Venus Williams powers into the semi-finals with a straight sets victory over Agnieszka Radwanska.
It has come down, to nobody's astonishment, to a straight shoot-out in this afternoon's women’s semi-finals between the United States and Russia. Or, more accurately, between the Williams family and Russia, with defending champion Venus taking on the world number one, Dinara Safina, and sister Serena tackling Elena Dementieva.
They are the top four here this year, so it is the first time the top four seeds have dominated the women's semi-finals at any Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2006.
The difference this time is that whereas the trophy shelves at the various Williams’ residences must be sagging under the weight of golden pots, the two Russians cannot claim a Grand Slam title between them. This is not for the want of trying, especially in the case of Dementieva who is appearing in her 43rd Grand Slam.
The only other woman Grand Slam champion who has had to wait longer than that before striking gold is Jana Novotna, and things did not come good for her at Wimbledon in 1998 until she had got rid of years of disappointment by famously weeping on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent as she was offered another piece of runner-up silverware in 1997. . Dementieva has not yet resorted to tears, but frustration must be a regular companion these days. In her 11th season, she has yet to win a Grand Slam title. But three semi-finals in succession (Wimbledon and US Open 2008 and Australia 2009), as well as two final appearances in 2004 (French Open and US Open) seems an indication that she is prepared to take that final step at last.
In contrast, Safina has already, at the age of 23 compared with Dementieva's 27, played three finals and lost them all. She started at the French Open last year and finished second best in both Grand Slams before Wimbledon, losing to Serena Williams in Australia and Svetlana Kuznetsova in Paris. The tide is bound to turn for her soon, but whether this will be the moment to land another place in a final is debatable. Doubtful, even. The only Russian women to have reached a Wimbledon final are Olga Morozova (1974) who did not win it, and Maria Sharapova (2004) who did.
That Sharapova moment was one of the only two years in this century that the Williamses did not cart off the booty and the trophy. What a class act these sisters are. Serena's 10 Grand Slams are spread around all four Slam venues, while Venus's seven amount to five Wimbledons and two US Opens.
It is not only by sheer arithmetic that Venus stakes a claim as the Williams who comes closest to taking ownership of Wimbledon's acreage - if such heresy were permissible - although Serena has been making big noises these past two weeks about it being about time she got to win the title again.
Venus Williams has not lost a set at Wimbledon since the third round in 2007
First, then, the Safina-Venus affair. They have met once this year, on the clay of Rome's Foro Italico, and the Russian won their semi-final in three sets. They have never met on grass, though, and it is on this surface that Venus and her game come together to such devastating effect.
She has not even lost a set here since the third round in 2007, which makes 32 sets in a row, and though she is sporting tape around the left knee, we have been assured that she intends to play through whatever pain may be affecting her. As Venus might have said (but hasn't so far) "No gain without pain."
Though they could not possibly meet before the final, Serena is firmly on the record as disapproving of Safina, and any other woman, who can ascend to world number one without having won a Grand Slam. Just doesn't seem natural, according to the younger Williams. Perhaps she was a bit miffed to lose her latest stint at the peak of the women's game last autumn to Jelena Jankovic, who also has yet to triumph at a major.
Although Venus did not choose to labour this particular point after her quarter-final win over Agnieszka Radwanska, she was happy to let everyone know that she and her sister "play the style of game that is the most effective, and I think we are the best at this style". In other words, they are better than anybody, whether they have won a Grand Slam or not. It is an opinion that resists argument.
It is entirely possible that Safina could upset the Venus apple cart. She is younger and stronger. But she is definitely not wiser. And that is what will be most likely to tip the balance the Williams way on Centre Court. But should the verdict not go the way of Marat Safin's sister, there is this consolation: she will remain world number one after Wimbledon, whatever.
The Centre Court proceedings open with Serena versus Dementieva. This will be the ninth time these two have teed off and perusal of their head to head reveals the interesting statistic that, although Serena leads 5-3, it is Dementieva who has ended up with the better results in their most recent encounters.
Williams won the first four, only to lose the next three, including at the Beijing Olympics, where the Russian came out on top in a three-set quarter-final. But at the Australian Open in January, their semi-final was a straight-sets stroll for Serena.
What would have been a further opportunity for Dementieva to close the gap to 5-4 was foiled when Serena pulled out of their semi-final at the Paris indoor event in February with an injury. And that is how it has been left, until now.
But, like Venus, Serena tends to get really serious at the Slams. She has been beaten only twice in her 15 semi-finals at the majors, and has won the past seven. The last defeat came six years ago at Roland Garros (to Justine Henin). Like Big Sis, Serena is also a much-taped athlete now, in her case around the ankles. But it hasn't made a visible impact on her sock-it-to-'em style. Dementieva has of late upped the strength of a formerly distinctly "iffy" serve but it may not be enough to derail the two-coach Williams Express.
There are some interesting statistics about aces and double faults about today’s games. Serena has got this far at the 2009 Championships with 40 aces and only nine double faults. The Venus statistics are 22 and 10. When you come to the Russians, it tips the other way. Safina has 16 aces and 31 double faults, Dementieva 13 and 33. Is there perhaps a Russian Academy of Double Faults?
Roger Federer plays a backhand volley in his quarter-final match against Ivo Karlovic.
And then there were four. Nine days ago, the men’s locker rooms were heaving with 128 hopefuls, all with their eyes on the trophy. As of Wednesday evening, we were down to the semi-finalists: Roger Federer, the man chasing history; Andy Murray, the man with the weight of the home nation of his shoulders; Andy Roddick, the two-time finalist who has worked himself narrow to have another crack at greatness and Tommy Haas. Yes, that’s right: Tommy Haas.
Haas pulled off the sensation of the tournament, brushing aside Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3. At the age of 31 and after a career plagued by injury and lack of confidence, the German is playing the tennis of his life and looks ready to make a habit of upsetting the favourites.
That may not be quite so straightforward as he now plays Federer, but he still feels that his Wimbledon fortnight is not over yet. He is serving well, feeling healthy and he has absolutely nothing to lose.
“I always felt like deep down Wimbledon will maybe still have something left for me,” Haas said. “It better come up soon, because I'm not getting any younger. These are obviously the best results, the best tennis I've played here, the best I've been feeling.”
Federer is unlikely to be giving anything away for free on Friday if his performance against Ivo Karlovic is anything to go by and the Swiss is purring along like a perfectly tuned Rolls Royce at the moment. He swatted aside Karlovic’s thumping serve and simply accelerated towards the semi-finals like it was the easiest thing in the world.
On the other side of the draw the finalist will emerge from the battle of the Andys – Murray and Roddick.
Scotland’s finest appeared fresh and fully recovered from his late-night epic on Monday and took just 106 minutes to dismiss Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 6-2. For all the exertions of the previous round against Stan Wawrinka, Murray actually appeared to get better and quicker the longer the match wore on.
Roddick, meanwhile, was kept running and scrapping for 10 minutes short of four hours by Lleyton Hewitt before he just got the better of his old rival 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4. For a man still trying to get back to his best after hip surgery last year, Hewitt has found a new lease of life in SW19. The match with Roddick was his second five-setter in three days and yet still he had the American within reach until the last couple of games.
As for Roddick, he was simply “relieved” to have come through against such a feisty opponent. It is four years since he was last in the semi final here – and then he went on to lose to Federer in the final. Thinner and fitter than he has ever been, he is playing better than he has in years thanks to the coaching of Larry Stefanki. But, then again Murray usually wins when he plays Roddick. Roll on Friday.
Andy Murray defiantly insisted his grand slam prospects are better than ever after Andy Roddick ended his Wimbledon run.
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