Djokovic Must up Game for Nishikori

36 SPORT TUESDAY JANUARY 26 2016 Murray makes Tomic pay for rash of errors LEO SCHLINK Djokovic BERNARD Tomic has been must up handed a harsh lesson in the “Bernie didn’t realities of grand slam tennis, play his best suffering Australian Open de- game for feat despite a superb attacking display against Andy Murray. tiebreak, he A four-time Melbourne missed a few easy Nishikori Park finalist, Murray smoth- ered 16th seed Tomic 6-4 6-4 balls, made it a bit 7-6 (7-4) to terminate Austra- NOVAK Djokovic knows he lia’s hopes of ending a 40-year easier for me“ can’t afford another match lit- title drought. tered with mistakes when he As superior as Murray was, faces No.7 seed Kei Nishikori Tomic refused to submit, tak- in today’s quarter-finals. ing risks at every opportunity The top seed squeezed past with 10 aces, 33 winners – and a Frenchman Gilles Simon in terminal 56 unforced errors five sets in just over 4½ hours But, illustrating why he is in the fourth round, despite regarded as a counter-punch- racking up a remarkable 100 ing genius, Murray cleverly unforced errors. soaked up Tomic’s pace to Djokovic admitted he was deny the talented Australian in well below his best but added a high quality contest. the high error count had a lot “It was a tough match, both to do with the No.14 seed’s of us had our chances,” Murray relentless counterpunching – a said. point echoed by Roger Federer “Bernie didn’t play his best in his assessment of the match. tiebreak, he missed a few easy Either way, Djokovic won’t balls, made it a bit easier for me dwell on the sub-par display. when it was getting tight.” “In terms of a level that I’ve Distracted by worries over played, it’s the match to forget the health of his father-in-law for me,” he said. Nigel Sears, who collapsed at “When you’re playing that Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, bad and still manage to win – and the well-being of his preg- hopefully it’s going to be better nant wife Kim, Murray was the next one. emotional post-match. “I’ve been in these situa- “The last few days were tions before. The good thing very, very tough, a lot of emo- about grand slams is that you tions,” he said. “A lot of things have a day off in betwee. going through my head, very “I’ve had worse situations stressful. I’ll try to rest up and where I had much less time to be ready for the next one.” recover after long matches. An Olympic and Wimble- Nishikori (pictured) advan- don champion, world No.2 ced with less fuss, seeing off the Murray delights in torturing No.9 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga his opponents – physically and in straight sets. mentally. “It was one of the best A master of tennis strangu- matches I had this week,” lation, he punished Tomic with Nishikori said. “I played good relentless retrieving and guile, tennis, through three sets. It’s turning defence into attack. great to finish straight sets But it was far from a rout for always, especially in Grand the second seed, who had to Slams. Those two weeks are a contend with Tomic’s shot- long time.” making creativity. Japan’s top-ranked player He landed 18 aces, 43 win- trails Djokovic 5-2 in their ners and made only 22 un- Britain’s Andy Murray on his way to victory over Australia’s Bernard Tomic last night Picture: MICHAEL KLEIN head-to-head battle, with forced errors to advance to a Nishikori last beating the Serb quarter-final clash with Span- the Queenslander’s serve with scooped backhand winner be- executioner to again break ing impressive intensity, in a semi-final boilover at the ish eighth seed David Ferrer, a monster forehand return in fore breaking again. Tomic’s serve. But Tomic re- Tomic cracked early in the US Open in 2014. who dispatched American the opening game. Even then, Murray’s relent- acted positively to immedi- third set, spraying a forehand He planned to watch a John Isner 6-4 6-4 7-5. Tomic returned the favour less probing began to exact a ately break back – only to lapse to lose serve again. replay of that match before he Murray boasts a 12-6 win- in the fourth game to get back toll on an impressively com- again. Digging deep, he rescued takes the court today. ning record against Ferrer. on terms – but it was a brief re- mitted Tomic, who forced the Maintaining his attacks, the situation to break back and “That gives me a lot of con- Unbeaten against Tomic in prieve. Scot to serve for the set twice. Tomic repeatedly stretched frustrated Murray with adven- fidence to play against him three previous matches, Mur- Murray turned the screws Moving ahead after 47 min- Murray but could not wound turous tennis. Three forehand again, but we played in London ray laid down a familiar law in the following game, claim- utes, Murray turned the screws the Scot to trail by two sets to errors from a pressing Tomic last year and he kind of from the outset by breaking ing a 32-shot rally with a with the cold detachment of an love. With Murray maintain- in the tiebreak sealed his fate. destroyed me,” he said. Ferrer, Monfils through Berdych game of envy DAVID Ferrer has reached his Ferrer has twice been a CZECH powerhouse Tomas them? Grand Slam glory. sixth quarter-final at the Aus- semi-finalist at the Australian Berdych must view Open There are few things worse in tralian Open, without drop- Open and a finalist at the 2013 quarter-final opponent Roger sport than the tag of ‘‘best ping a set. French Open. Federer with some envy. player without a major’’. No.8 seed Ferrer beat big- Gael Monfils (pictured) For too long Berdych (pic- “I know that with Djokovic, serving John Isner 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 stunned the crowd on Margar- tured), now 30, has been Roger Federer, Murray and in their fourth-round match. et Court Arena with his extra- grouped with Jo-Wilfried Nadal, this is the toughest time After capturing the first two ordinary athleticism during his Tsonga, David Ferrer and ever to win a Slam,” Berdych sets, Ferrer broke Isner to go fourth-round win over Andrey Richard Gasquet – still impres- said at last year’s French Open. up 6-5 in the third set after the Kuznetsov. The No.23 seed sive company – rather than “Stan Wawrinka proved it American double-faulted on threw himself across the court Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak could be done (2014 Australian break point. He then served trying to keep a point going in Djokovic and Andy Murray. Open), but for me, my time is out the match to love. his 7-5 3-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) win. The ingredient that separates running out.” NTNE01Z01MA - V1.

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