Holding him back: Murray's cranky back, cranky personality, hurt him against a steady Ferrer. Copyright FFT.
Andy Murray hates tennis. Especially today, after David Ferrer frustrated him with high percentage shots and wore him down in 3 hours, 45 minutes. Ferrer is through to his first French Open semifinal, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2.
Murray grimaced and grumbled and clutched at his balky back. He got impatient with the Spanish 6th-seed's long rallies, hitting 59 unforced errors against Ferrer's 32.
David Tutton, blogging on the match for the Roland Garros website, described it this way:
[Ferrer] had not dropped a set all tournament, and he lured Murray into the same trap as his earlier victims. Undecided as to whether he should attack or defend, the Scot fell between two stools, and was caught in long rallies that ended more often than not when he committed an error. And when he did try to throw in a drop-shot or change things up, the ploy did not work.
Murray turned his frustration on the ball, getting more aggressive in the second set, and held to open the third. But a half hour rain delay soured his already-dark mood. Ferrer seized the advantage, and the match, breaking Murray 10 times.
With his win over Almagro, Nadal is 50-1 lifetime at Roland Garros. Copyright FFT.Now Ferrer faces his countryman, Rafael Nadal, who wasn't slowed at all by the rain. He defeated another fellow Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-3, saving 4 break points. He's two wins away from a record 7th title in Paris.
In the women's quarterfinals, 2nd-seed Maria Sharapova dispatched 23rd-seed Kaia Kanepi, 6-2, 6-3.
It was a tougher quarter for Wimbledon defending champ Petra Kvitova. She needed 3 sets to get rid of qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova. "I had zero energy left. Just super tired," said Shvedova, who had to play three qualifying matches before getting into the main draw.
Kvitova's win puts Tam "Buttercream" Thomsen in 1st place in the I Hate Tennis French Open Cake Contest, with 132 points. It's either her or the other Thompson to take the cake, according to bracket sponsor Tourneytopia's analysis of possible scenarios. If Kvitova makes it to the finals and faces either Stosur or Errani, Tam wins, no matter who raises the Muskateers' Cup. If Sharapova finals, and faces Stosur or Errani, Caitlin gets the blood sugar spike all to herself.
Haters, who are you rooting for? Sharapova/Thompson, or Kvitova/Thomsen?
Amy Eddings Posted on 
Courtesy Getty Images/Matthew Stockman.
