Neither the miserable Paris weather nor John Isner and his blockbuster serve could prevent Andy Murray reaching yet another grand slam quarter-final at the French Open.
The challenge of trying to break Isner caused Murray no end of turmoil but he kept his focus and ground out a 7-6 (11/9) 6-4 6-3 victory.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3UV0d8F0us
It was his sixth win from six meetings with Isner and booked a last-eight clash with Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who set a new record by making the quarter-finals at his 13th attempt after upsetting fifth seed Kei Nishikori.
Murray was at his ranting and raving best – or worst – and called his tennis “absolute turnip”, among less savoury phrases, in the sixth game of the second set after seeing a precious break point go begging.
He had no chances in the opening set as Isner pressed and, from 5-2 up in the tie-break, lost four straight points to find himself facing set point on the Isner serve.
Normally that would be a formality but Murray somehow scrambled a return back and then drilled a backhand pass down the line.
The Scot saved two more set points before taking his second chance, letting out a huge cry of ‘Come on’.
A heavy rain shower stopped play for almost an hour in the fourth game of the second set, but the momentum was always with Murray from then on and he clinched victory with an ace after two hours and 40 minutes.
He said of his turnip reference: “I have said it a lot over the years.
“It’s frustrating, obviously, because when we stopped on the 2-1 game I was starting to get into his service games at the beginning of that set, and then throughout the second set really I felt like I had a number of chances.
“And you never know how many you’re going to get against players like Isner or (his third-round opponent Ivo) Karlovic because of the way they serve.
“So when they come you know the importance of them, and it’s frustrating, obviously, if you don’t get them. But I kept hanging there and created enough and managed to take a few.
“Obviously the first set was key. I didn’t have any chances, really, in the first set until the tie-break. I was a bit lucky on the 6-5 point. He hit a great serve, I guessed the right way on his approach shot. That point was very important, for sure.”
The victory means the world number two has reached at least the last eight at 20 of his last 21 grand slams, while six appearances in the quarter-finals is the most ever by a British man.
Jamie Murray suffered disappointment in his bid to make a fourth straight slam final, losing 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/4) with Brazilian Bruno Soares to Marcin Matkowski and Leander Paes.
There were two surprise quarter-finalists in the singles in the shape of Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Shelby Rogers, while defending men’s champion Stan Wawrinka and women’s fourth seed Garbine Muguruza also made it through.
