Australian Open 2011: Andy Murray sees off Alexandr Dolgopolov threat

A year to the day since he put Rafael Nadal out of this tournament, Andy Murray handled an altogether different challenge in seeing off the powerful young Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the second year in a row. Now, David Ferrer waits for him after he upset compatriot Nadal 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 on the 10th day of the tournament. Last year Nadal struggled with knee injuries that threatened his career; Dolgopolov's handicap today was his impetuosity. Yet it was that very quality of unabashed freedom that made this an enthralling contrast in style and attitude, a tussle that started in a whirlwind descended into a dogfight and finished in a blur. Murray won 7-5, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 after 184 minutes, the first time in the tournament he has had to go more than two hours. The opening stanza on Rod Laver Arena was one of those special sporting cameos, a tennis match that turned into a fight of wills, power and wit. Although they are separated in age by only a year or so, Murray clearly was the top gun and Dolgopolov, who arrived with a face few recognised and a name not many could pronounce, was looking to take him out. Ranked 46 in the world, he went looking for a shoot-out as he fired in blistering ground strokes and a string of aces that nudged the speed clock over the 200kph mark. Murray broke and dropped serve in the first quarter of an hour then resumed his quiet slaughter of an opponent who plainly had taken to heart the entreaties of his British-born coach from South Australia, Jack "I'm a high-class bum" Reader. Reader, who lived on the fringes of the circuit as a player and totally fell on his feet when he hooked up with Dolgopolov through an agent in Italy, has been an Australian citizen for eight years. He talks and thinks like one, too, which is apparent in Dolgopolov's tennis. There are no doubts, no second thoughts and a ton of intuition. His serve, not unlike Andy Roddick's, must be a nightmare to read. He has a very short ball-toss and a violently twisting delivery of a flat racket that propelled the ball wickedly through the cool air for 10 aces in the first set, to Murray's two. They duked it out on even terms until Murray produced the shot of the day, a pass down the line from a smash that left Dolgopolov flummoxed for set point. The Ukrainian saved that one and three more before another Murray backhand clinched it for 7-5. Murray was brilliantly boring. For all that critics demand he up his aggression, he correctly identified that his defensive skills were the best way to blunt the searing physicality of his opponent. Although Reader probably gave Dolgopolov his best chance of hurting Murray by encouraging him to go for his shots, he was too casual at the start of the second set and found himself 4-1 down and hanging on after missing three horrendously easy shots. Going for a behind-the-back flick on the run that hit the net, Dolgopolov should have been reminded that this was not an exhibition match. Murray, a far more disciplined technician, stuck rigidly to his game plan, waiting patiently for his opponent to succumb to the temptations of showboating tennis. The Scot was getting 75% of his first serves in and took the second set unflustered; Dolgopolov looked increasingly ragged, his footwork letting him down as fluffed one easy shot after another. Leading 5-2, Murray still had not lost a service point: 16 from 16. The excitement had died. This was the business end of the fight Dolgopolov saved two break points to hold for 5-3 down, but the drip-drip tide of Murray pressure was rushing against him. The world No5 served out (losing his first two points on serve as went for the quick kill) and the end looked imminent after an hour and a half. When Murray broke him early in the third set, the gulf in quality became more obvious. Dolgopolov could not handle the consistency of Murray's returns, nor his subtle shifts in tactics, the Scot moving ever so slightly wider to receive the young hitter's booming serve to the backhand, where he'd had such success in the first set. His ace count dropped to zero in the second set and he blasted just three past Murray in the third. It was a crucial strategic change by Murray, one of the smartest players on the circuit. Murray's speed and anticipation also forced Dolgopolov (a born gambler, who has spent a few hours relaxing in the casino here), to push closer to the line in a desperate grab for winners. He kept at it, though, and broke back for 3-3 with some unreachable passing shots. Murray now found himself behind in the serving cycle, adding a hint of anxiety to the mix. Mistakes crept in; winning chances went begging and the crowd favourite Dolgopolov found new life in his arms and legs and drove the set on to a tie-break; he'd won 13 out of 23 in his career, Murray 80 from 135 – but those stats counted for nothing as Murray faltered under pressure with a double fault and a loose final forehand to hand the set to Dolgopolov. Then the match swung wildly back towards Murray, who won the first 12 points of the fourth set to go 3-0 up, then another two before Dolgopolov got on the scorecard. "What just happened?" asked Reader, who'd returned to the court after a break only to see his charge on the ropes. In a twinkling it was 4-0. Dolgopolov, who'd come through long five-setters against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Robin Soderling to get this fire, had little left to give, but he kept punching. By the time Murray closed the set out, the kid's admirable gamble was lost, and Murray knew he was in the best possible shape for the bigger challenges that stand between him and a first grand slam.