12 June,2011 08:08 AM IST | | AFP
Briton wants to win Queen's finale as it will keep him in good stead for upcoming Wimbledon campaign
Britain's Andy Murray will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final at Queen's after an imperious 6-3, 6-1 victory over four-time champion Andy Roddick in the semi-finals on Saturday. Murray, seeded second, demolished one of the top grass-court players of the last decade and French fifth seed Tsonga joined him in the final with a 6-3, 7-6 (9/7) win against British wildcard James Ward.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (left) and Andy Murray during their respective
semi-finals at the Queen's tennis club in London on Saturday.
Pics/AFP
Victory was especially sweet for world number four Murray as it went some way to avenging his 2009 Wimbledon semi-final defeat against Roddick. Murray had won six of his nine meetings with the American but the loss at Wimbledon still rankles with the Scot.
The 24-year-old will have taken extra delight from the way he totally overwhelmed the third seed and he will now be heavy favourite to win this Wimbledon warm-up event for the second time. "Andy (Roddick) is one of the toughest players to break on the Tour but it was just one of those days. I hardly missed a ball," Murray said.
"Everything that touched my racquet came off. I felt great out there. It's nice to get off the court quickly. I'm sure if we play in a couple of weeks at Wimbledon it'll be a lot more competitive." Murray, who last won the title here in 2009, slammed down two aces in his first service game and then snatched the early momentum by breaking Roddick in the next game.
As ever, Murray was looking to use the drop-shot at every opportunity and he caught Roddick with two exquisite efforts to move 4-1 ahead. Murray's serve was in good working order and, with his sliced backhand causing the American no end of problems, Roddick began to wear an increasingly exasperated expression as the first set ended with another Murray ace.
Roddick's formidable record on grass -- he had won 32 of his previous 37 matches at Queen's, as well as reaching three Wimbledon finals -- underlined Murray's achievement. The American was going for a record fifth Queen's title, but there was no let-up from Murray at the start of the second set and he broke again in the first game.
A Roddick double-fault gifted the break point and Murray was quick to seize the opportunity with a superb return that his opponent could only volley into the net. Murray was toying with Roddick now, drawing him in with low slices and then passing at will, and his place in the final was secured when he broke for a 4-1 lead and then converted his third match point.
For the first time since the Open era began in 1968, there were two British semi-finalists at Queen's, but there won't be a first all-British final since 1931 after Tsonga ended Ward's fairytale run. "I am just happy to win in two sets because in the third set with the crowd with him it would have been difficult," Tsonga said. "As for tomorrow, at the moment Andy Murray is a better player than me, but I hope I can be better than him."
Ward, ranked 216th in the world, knocked out fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka and defending champion Sam Querrey en route to the last four, but his giant-killing exploits ended there. Tsonga had enjoyed his own shock win on Friday when he beat World No 1 Rafael Nadal in three sets and looked full of confidence as he broke for a 2-0 lead.
After Ward failed to convert a couple of break points, Tsonga served out the set. Ward had a chance to level the match after breaking for a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Tsonga broke back to force a tie-break.
Both players had chances in the breaker, but it was Tsonga who came through as Ward missed a passing shot on the Frenchman's second match point.
