Andy Murray has reached the last eight without much sweat. He is yet to drop a set in this tournament. Jurgen Melzer was the ideal foil for Murray. He is conditioned to a set play. He hits shots in places most do. There is not much pace in the ground strokes. His placement is good against most of the players. But all this was not going to cut much ice with a player of Murray’s calibre. When Melzer failed to convert from 40-0 on Murray’s serve at the beginning of the second set, it was clear that what was in view was only a facade of a mismatch. Andy Murray did not play any great. He played his normal game. But he did not allow Melzer to play his normal game. Murray served at 57% which is what is the minimum expected of him if he has to win his maiden Grand Slam title. He also served 13 aces in the three sets played. The final score line read 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 with thirty winners to ten unforced errors. Here in lies the paradox. Andy Murray has not faced difficulty so far. He should not get drowned in a false sense of security. He is playing well, but his wins are also compounded by opponents not playing well or not having been allowed to play well. In Alexandr Dolgopolov, he will meet a player who has capacity to move well but also propensity to hit out when not in position. It should not pose much difficulty. Andy Murray appears to have a leg already in the Semi-Finals.
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