BMW Open 2015: Andy Murray has chance to fashion his first title on clay after two victories in one day
In the morning Murray beat the Czech Republic’s Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals and in the afternoon he beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4
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Your support makes all the difference.Andy Murray has appeared in 47 finals, winning 31 of them, but will break new ground when he attempts to win the BMW Open in Munich on Sunday afternoon. The 27-year-old Scot will be playing in the final of a clay-court tournament for the first time when he takes on Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Murray, who is being coached for the first time this week by Jonas Bjorkman in the temporary absence of Amélie Mauresmo, reached the final yesterday by winning two matches in the space of six hours after Friday’s play had been washed out by rain.
In the morning Murray beat the Czech Republic’s Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals and in the afternoon he beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4. Even then the world No 3’s work was not over as he went on to partner Jean-Julien Rojer in the semi-finals of the doubles. The Scot and the Dutchman were beaten 6-3, 6-2 by Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.
After such a demanding day Murray (right) will be hoping he can dispose of Kohlschreiber more quickly than the last time he met the world No 26 on clay. Last year Murray beat the German 12-10 in the fifth set of their third-round match at the French Open after more than four hours. Kohlschreiber, who won the Munich title in 2007 and 2012, came from a set down yesterday against both David Goffin and Gerald Melzer.
Murray also made a slow start in both his matches. He was broken twice in the first set by Rosol but found his form in the second and looked in control by the end as he sealed victory after two hours.
Bautista Agut won the first three games against Murray before the Scot took charge by winning five games in a row. At one stage he won 14 points in succession. An early break put Murray in charge of the second set, in which he hit seven aces.
Murray and Kohlschreiber could meet again in the second round of this week’s Madrid Masters, Second seed Murray, who has a first-round bye, is due to meet Gael Monfils in the third round, Milos Raonic in thelast eight and Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals. Roger Federer is the top seed.
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