On the surface, two-time grand slam champions Murray and Wawrinka, who face off in the Roland Garros semi-finals on Friday, may seem to have had comparable careers.
Murray is the world No2, Wawrinka is No4. They have won the same number of majors, are only two years apart in age, and have featured in the latter stages at the slams quite frequently in recent seasons.
They’ve both stormed into the last four in Paris playing some impressive tennis and with Murray owning a slender 8-7 head-to-head edge over Wawrinka, who has won their last three meetings, it’s a semi-final that is almost impossible to predict.
“I believe I can win the event. Whether I do or not, we’ll have to wait and see,” said a confident Murray on Wednesday after defeating ninth-seeded Richard Gasquet 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-0, 6-2 to reach a third successive French Open semi-final.
“But I believe it’s possible and only a couple of matches away now. Yeah, just give everything I’ve got the next few days.”
Wawrinka is also feeling great, following a convincing 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(7) over unseeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas but he keeps things in perspective when he is asked to compare his career to that of Murray.
“I think he is well ahead of me. Now that I’ve won a second grand slam people say I’m closer to him because I have won two and he’s won two as well. But if you were to compare our two careers he’s well ahead of me given all the titles, the finals, No2 in the world, and he has so many Masters 1000, as well,” explains Wawrinka, who is on a nine-match winning streaking, having captured the title in Geneva last week.
“Therefore, as I kept on repeating, you know, he’s in the Big Four. You know, there is a reason for this. Maybe he has fewer titles, fewer titles than the other Big Three, but he’s always been with them during the semis, the finals. His career is very, very impressive.”
Murray did well against Gasquet but the match was not without its bumps. The Scot was up 5-2 in the opening set before losing the next five games to give Gasquet an early lead.
Attempting to serve out the second set at 5-3, Murray again was broken but held his nerve in the tiebreak to draw level.
Things got less complicated after that as he completed his knockout of the local favourite.
"I just go. I play."
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 1, 2016
Play on champ. #RG16 pic.twitter.com/HhEo50XGfa
“I think I played some really good stuff today. I do think I played well. Obviously the match could have been maybe more comfortable had I done a bit better serving out the first two sets. But, you know, aside from that, I was playing some good stuff. I finished the match extremely well, I think,” said Murray, who is also on a nine-match winning streak, thanks to his win in Rome earlier this month.
The man Murray beat in that Rome final, Novak Djokovic, completed a rain-interrupted fourth round victory over Spanish No14 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 on Wednesday, in a match suspended due to rain from the day before.
The win took Djokovic into a 28th straight grand slam quarter-final which means he now takes sole occupancy of second place ahead of Jimmy Connors for the most consecutive last-eight appearances at the majors.
Djokovic will have no time to rest as he has to contest his quarter-final on Thursday, against seventh-seeded Tomas Berdych, who beat No11 seed David Ferrer 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 in two hours and 12 minutes.
With the top half of the draw particularly disrupted by the rain, Djokovic might have to play again on Thursday should he get past Berdych.
“It was a very physical match. Winning the second set tiebreak was crucial for me.” - Murray after his win. #RG16 pic.twitter.com/7RczAJdBK0
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 1, 2016
The world No1 is a remarkable 23-2 against Berdych, who has lost his last 10 straight matches to Djokovic.
Asked if the heavier, wet conditions might help him overcome Djokovic today, Berdych said: “It’s really tough to say, especially with him. But I think he can also deal with these conditions quite well, so let’s see if it’s going to play to be advantage or disadvantage, which I don’t know right now.
“Really I have nothing to lose. I’m playing well and I’m just going to try to stick with that. I’m going to try to use my tennis as much as I can on the court and really just try to be the one who is dictating the ball.”
Also in action on Thursday is No13 seed Dominic Thiem, who needed two days to beat Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-2, 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4, to reach his first career grand slam quarter-final.
The 22-year-old faces No12 seed David Goffin, who took out Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.
Our first semifinal is set: Murray v Wawrinka.#RG16 pic.twitter.com/qeFK1S3xmr
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 1, 2016
Women’s top seed Serena Williams is also on back-to-back duty as she takes on Kazakhstan’s grand slam quarter-final debutante Yulia Putintseva on Thursday, after crushing Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-1 in the fourth round.
Putintseva upset No12 seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 7-5 in a two-hour two-minute battle.
“I have actually played her a couple of times, and most recently in Indian Wells. She’s a tough player,” said Serena of Putintseva, who used to practice at the academy of the American’s coach Patrick Mouratogolou.
“She’s really hungry. I feel like she gives 200 per cent on every single point. You know, she’s a fighter. I think, you know, I feel like I’m a little bit that way myself, too. I give everything on every point. I’m a fighter.”
Murray rejoint Wawrinka en demies en battant Gasquet 5-7 7-6 6-0 6-2 #RG16 https://t.co/QgstqJ6Bl8
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 1, 2016
Ninth-seeded Venus Williams crashed out to Swiss No8 seed Timea Bacsinszky 6-2, 6-4 in the fourth round.
No4 seed Garbine Muguruza fought back from a break down in the opening set to end Shelby Rogers’ fairytale run 7-5, 6-3 and reach her first Roland Garros semi-final.
She takes on former runner-up Sam Stosur, who beat Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 6-4, 7-6 (6), saving two set points in the tiebreak.
