Andy Murray Hangs Tough Against Lopez; Raonic Up Next

Written by: Staff on 2nd September 2012

Andy Murray Hangs Tough Against Lopez; Raonic Up Next

epa03379464 Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a return to Feliciano Lopez of Spain during their match on the sixth day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 01 September 2012. The US Open runs through Sunday 09 September 2012. EPA/LARRY W. SMITH |

(Original Link:http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/08/35/US-Open-Saturday-Murray-Hangs-Tough.aspx)

Two very different victories for British players in the 3^rd round of the US Open. Murray slogged his guts out against Feliciano Lopez, and Laura Robson played her heart out to secure an amazing win over Li Na.

Less of that please Andy

Good Lord! That was tough. Andy Murray needed to plumb the depths of his mental and physical reserves to defeat Feliciano Lopez in the US Open third round.

It was the first real test for the Olympic champion, a match up that drew the eye when the draws were made. But when a victory takes so much from a player still relatively early in a tournament, one does have to wonder how many more matches Murray can play like this before one tips the other way.

Murray won by three sets to one, all three of his coming by way of a tiebreak – and all three tiebreaks were at some stage going in favour of Lopez. Close calls indeed.

Murray struggled in the heat, as many have done in New York this year, and he said he found it “challenging, mentally and physically” – and he didn’t have to watch it!

Murray now has a 7-0 record over his mother’s favourite player, but watching this game you’d have thought the previous 6 had shared out. A very close match, settled in no less than 3 tiebreaks, Murray will need his team working flat out between this and his next match to regain some of the energy expended if it’s not to become a pyrrhic victory.

Murray beats Lopez 7-6(5), 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4) to advance to the fourth round where Canadian Milos Raonic awaits him.

More of that please Laura!

Over in the women’s tournament, Laura Robson continued her marvellous summer with an incredible win over 9^th seed Li Na.

When she won the silver medal at the London Olympics mixed doubles, everyone though “okay, well done” and that would be it – plucky young Brit and all that. They thought the same after she ended Clijsters’ career in the 2^nd round here (That always sounds so menacing – Clijsters had decided to retire whatever happened in this tournament, it wasn’t like Laura beat her up and broke her wrists or anything) “wow look at that, what a result – bless her”.

Nobody had expected her to get past Kim Clijsters, certainly nobody gave her much hope of getting any further. But she beat Li Na convincingly, and the feeling is now one of “How far can she go?” – everyone is starting to take notice of her.

She’s just 18, and there’s so much pressure on her already – but as of 20^th August this year she’s only the third highest ranked British female! Robson’s margin of victory made the win even more surprising. A straight sets hammering might indicate a problem with Li Na, but this was a toe-to-toe battle that Robson won fair and square.

Very soon we won’t be describing these sorts of victories as surprising at all

Laura Robson beats Li Na 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-2 to progress to the fourth round where defending champion Sam Stosur awaits her…. Surely not, Laura?

Topics: Andy Murray, Feliciano Lopez, Laura Robson, Li Na, milos raonic, Sports, Tennis News