Madrid sends P23 Barca top SPORTS 2424 Friday, March 3, 2017 Murray survives Dubai

Dubai which determined the final direction The French showman was unable after 81 minutes. ndy Murray saved seven match of the epic quarter-final. to make a major impression in a “I played almost a thrillerpoints to reach the semi-finals The Scot held off Kohlschreiber’s match which was paused for almost perfect match,” Verdasco ofA the Dubai Championships with match points, but still needed eight half an hour in the closing stages due said. “I’m very happy, it a marathon 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (20/18), set points to get into the decider. to light rain. was a really complete match 6-1 win over Germany’s Philipp Murray will next meet either Spain’s Verdasco will play his in all the ways that you can Kohlschreiber yesterday. French seventh seed or second semi-final of the season on imagine. The top seed managed to avoid Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy, Friday, facing Dutchman Robin “After the rain delay I tried joining second seed Stan Wawrinka who sensationally eliminated Federer Haase, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 winner over to be focused, just looking for and seven-time winner in the second round. Bosnian Damir Dzumhur. the next point and trying to of on the sidelines after the Swiss pair The British star has never won the Monfils lost for the first time in keep doing the same as before Great Britain reacts crashed out in earlier rounds. Dubai title, but came close in 2012 four meetings against Verdasco, with the rain. during his ATP But world number one Murray when he was runner-up to Federer. the unseeded Spaniard taking charge “I’m very happy I’m in the quarter-final needed to scrap for almost In the bottom half of the draw, from the start. semi-finals now. I’ll try to match three hours against 33-year-old fourth seed Gael Monfils fired 10 Verdasco spent 35 minutes in recover and get ready for Kohlschreiber, with the pair duelling aces but still crashed out 6-3, 7-5 to winning the opening set and set tomorrow.” (AFP) in a 30-minute second-set tiebreaker Fernando Verdasco. about consolidating in the second. The 33-year-old, ranked 35th, Quarter-finals broke for 3-2 with Monfils saving three break points in the seventh Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (20/18), 6-1 game to stay in touch. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Gael Monfils (FRA x4) 6-3, 7-5 But Verdasco then produced a love (NED) bt Damir Džumhur (BIH) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 game for 5-3 just before rain stopped play. The Spaniard finally prevailed

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