Andy Murray once again proved why he's one of the best players in the world, not just because of his eighth consecutive win.
In a match for the semifinal spot at the ATP Challenger tournament in Nottingham, with the promising Swiss player, Dominic Stricker, it was Murray's unconventional tactic of swapping hands and playing two remarkable left-handed forehands that ensured his progression to the semi-finals, edging him closer to his aspiration of securing a seed at Wimbledon.
Murray has been weaving a tantalizing comeback narrative that has had tennis enthusiasts on the edge of their seats. Amidst an impressive seven-match winning spree ignited by his triumph in Surbiton and further fueled by the initial victories in Nottingham, his victory against Stricker, a 7-6(2) 7-5 straight-sets win, marked his eighth consecutive triumph.
Yet, the turning point maybe came during the critical first set when Murray showcased his incredible range of shots. At 5-4 in the first set, Murray was able to play a shot with his left hand, eventually winning the point.
But that wasn't enough to win the set as it headed to the tie-break. At 5-1 in the tie-break, Murray unveiled yet another masterstroke, one that would significantly tilt the match in his favor. Switching hands, the right-handed Murray deployed another stunning left-handed forehand, this time hitting a winner.
The unpredictability of these shots caught Stricker off guard, underscoring Murray's vast experience and strategic genius. Eventually, the Brit secured the semifinal spot as he'll look to add his ninth consecutive victory on Saturday.
"It’s obviously brilliant. It was a really tight match today against one of the best young players in the world. He has a really good game, huge shots from the back of the court, but also a really nice touch up at the net and I’m really glad to get through that one as it was very close."
The former world no. 1 remembered also good passing shots that he produced in the first-set tie-break, out of which one was the left-handed forehand winner.
"I thought in the first set tiebreak I played really well, came up with some really good passing shots to get me that tiebreak and in the second set, I think when I broke back immediately when he went 3-1 up, it gave me the momentum back. I felt like I was creating a lot of chances, and that’s the best I’ve played across the last two weeks in terms of how I hit the ball. That was really positive."
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