Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray did it again; true to his trademark relentless spirit, he earned his third consecutive win in deciding sets this week - his fifth of the season - battling past Alexandre Muller 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 after two hours and five minutes in Doha.
Following his comeback victory over the French qualifier, the two-time champion notched his spot in the ATP 250 semifinals, the first since June in Stuttgart.
After the challenging encounter, the Scot commented: “I’ve been playing a lot of tennis the last few days, and [doing that again] wasn’t going to give me the best chance to win the match, so I stepped up, started taking a few chances, tried to come to the net when I got the opportunity and managed to turn it around.”
Next, the former world number one will face Jiri Lehecka for a place in the final.
The World No. 52 advanced into his second semifinal at tour level - the first since Rotterdam - after upsetting top seed Andrey Rublev with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory, claiming his maiden Top 5 triumph.
The 21-year-old got off to a solid start to his 2023 season, gaining confidence on his way to the Australian Open quarterfinals, taking out the likes of Briton Cameron Norrie and sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, before eventual runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas, halted his campaign on Australian soil.
In his on-court interview after beating World No. 5 Rublev, he said: “These past two months have been very great for me. I was looking forward to playing here, in Doha, on this beautiful center court, so I am very happy with the win and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Murray and Lehecka will meet for the first time on Tour at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Friday.
Murray Campaign in Doha
The quarterfinals set off with Muller, 26, regrouping from a break down to take the opener 6-4. But the World No. 70 would fight back, mastering his forehand to emerge victorious in three sets.
The 35-year-old was coming off the back of a marathon clash with German Alexander Zverev, which the former took 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5 after three hours of play.
On the verge of defeat in the 10th game of the decider, the 46-time ATP titlist turned the match around, taking risks when it mattered the most to break his opponent. He closed out with a backhand winner, advancing to the last eight.
The Glasgow native opened his campaign in Doha, contesting the first of a series of epic battles.
Murray battled through Italian Lorenzo Sonego, a fierce encounter in which he held his nerve, raising his level to save three match points, grabbing a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) win in style.
Asked about his next adversary, Lehecka, he outlined: “He’s started the year extremely well and had a great run at the Australian Open. He’s one of the best young players on Tour.”
On Friday, the Czech player will aim to move into his first ATP final, while for Murray, a victory will mean a chance to play the championship match at the event for a third time.
The other semifinal will feature third seed Daniil Medvedev against the winner of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and second seed Auger-Aliassime match, also set for Thursday.