Delighted With Form, Murray Charges Into Nottingham CH Semis

Andy Murray passed a stern test from #NextGenATP Swiss Dominic Stricker on Friday to reach the semi-finals at the ATP Challenger Tour 125 event in Nottingham.

The Scot is yet to drop a set this week after defeating Stricker 7-6(2), 7-5 in the Rothesay Open quarter-finals. Murray lost just one point behind his first serve in the opening set to gain an advantage on the 20-year-old. Despite trailing 1-3 in the second set, Murray fought back and earned a decisive break in the 11th game before closing out the match in one hour, 48 minutes.

"Really, really tight match today against one of the best young players in the world," Murray said in his on-court interview. "He has a really good game, huge shots from the back of the court but also really nice touch up at the net.

"I thought in the first-set tie-break I played really well, came up with some really good passing shots to get me that tie-break. In the second set, I think when I broke back immediately when he went 3-1 up, I think it gave me the momentum back and I felt like I was creating a lot of chances. That's the best I've played across the last two weeks in terms of how I hit the ball and that was really positive."

The three-time major champion has won 13 of his past 14 Challenger-level matches, including title runs in Aix-en-Provence and last week in Surbiton. The 36-year-old will next face Nuno Borges, who cruised past Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro 6-4, 6-4. Borges earned his biggest career title earlier this season, when he triumphed at the premiere Challenger 175 event in Phoenix.

In other Nottingham action, French qualifier Arthur Cazaux advanced to the semi-finals after ousting Gabriel Diallo 7-6(2), 7-5 and Dominik Koepfer moved past wild card George Loffhagen 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

The smile says it all ?

8⃣ wins in a row for @andy_murray, who gets past Stricker 7-6(2), 7-5 to reach the semifinals in Nottingham!#ATPChallenger | @the_LTA pic.twitter.com/ykZWx2x4v5