Roddick Bests Murray at Wimbledon Semi-Final
By Caroline Cheese
BBC Sport
Britain’s long wait for a men’s finalist at Wimbledon goes on after Andy Murray lost a nail-biting semi-final against Andy Roddick.
Roddick goes through to face Roger Federer in Sunday’s final after a 6-4 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-5) win.
The turning point came in the third set when Murray fought back from 5-2 down only to lose a tense tie-break.
Roddick played one of the best matches of his career to prevail after three hours and seven minutes.
Murray will inevitably look back with huge disappointment on his first Wimbledon semi-final, but he can also reflect on a stunning performance by his opponent.
While Murray’s first serve let him down, Roddick’s was almost impeccable, and his touch at the net, so often a weakness, was rock-solid.
“I had to play my best tennis to win,” Roddick told BBC Sport.
“I can’t say enough good things about Andy’s game. But I can play some tennis sometimes. Not many people were giving me much of a chance, but I knew if I could stay the course, I had a chance.
“He had a lot of pressure on him, and I could come out and swing, and I think that helped.
“He’s been a much better player than I have over the last year – I was just a little bit better today.”
Murray came into the match with a 6-2 winning record against Roddick, including a third-round win over the American at Wimbledon three years ago.
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