Raonic downs Monfils, sets up Australian Open semis clash with Murray

Murray’s brother Jamie has also reached the last four of the men’s doubles with Brazilian Bruno Soares.

“He’s playing well”, Raonic said of the Frenchman.

On the same evening that Johanna Konta burnished her status as the surprise package of the tournament by reaching her first grand-slam semi-final, Murray’s progress to the last four of a major for the 18th time is rather less of a shock.

Lapses of concentration cost him dear, however, and he was 40-0 up in the fourth game of the contest when a string of unforced errors allowed Murray to clinch the break that won him the set. “We played some brutal rallies at the end of the second set and the beginning of the third”.

“It is tough in those situations”. I’m used to this and I thought I played great tennis.

Murray leads 12-6 winning their last five including a win in four sets past year at the French.

The tie-break was tight but Murray surrendered the initiative by blazing a backhand volley wide before Ferrer won a 31-shot rally – the longest so far – to move 5-3 clear. “Obviously it depended on Nigel’s health”, said Murray, after his 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over Bernard Tomic on Monday night.

With Murray up 3-1, play was suddenly suspended due to thunder and lightning nearby, which irritated Ferrer, who protested to the umpire “come on bud, it’s not even raining”.

Despite being in the final four times, the Scot has still to lift the trophy and his determination was undiminished as he wrapped up victory in just 91 minutes.

Murray liked it with a roof over his head.

The Australian saved two match points before returning a serve long to give Murray the win in 2 hours, 30 minutes.

She may not be a Cinderella story in the mold of the player she beat 6-4 6-1 Wednesday to make the semifinals, Zhang Shuai, but the 24-year-old who holds three passports has come out of nowhere to emerge on the big stage.

Kerber has to keep Azarenka from attacking her serve, particularly second serves.

It is 277 weeks since Ferrer was last ranked outside the top 10 and 340 since he was not in the top 20.

Milos Raonic will face Andy Murray in the semifinals of Australian Open. “She definitely raised her level and made me work for it. It was a great battle to be a part of”. “I’m preparing myself for a very tough match because she’s very solid, very consistent, and an wonderful fighter”.

Prior to reaching the quarterfinals in this year’s tournament, Gael Monfils had never made it beyond the fourth round at the Australian Open.

Kerber will be looking to improve her record against Azarenka, who she has not beaten in six attempts, but the Pole is determined not to let history weigh on her mind. I mean, I’m pretty much the female version of Jason Bourne. “They’ve been staying up at all times”. One of those two will advance to the semifinals, where they will play the victor of No. 13 Milos Raonic vs. No. 23 Gael Monfils, which is also taking place on Wednesday.

But Raonic didn’t lose confidence in his game plan and remained the aggressor in the fifth set while Wawrinka faded.