By Tony Fairbairn
- Andy Murray def Alexander Bublik [7] 6-3 7-6(4)
- Murray v Stefanos Tsitsipas [1] | H2H: Tsitsipas leads 1-0
STUTTGART, GERMANY – Andy Murray saw off a strong performance from Alexander Bublik to reach the last eight in Stuttgart where he will face top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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Andy Murray def Alexander Bublik [7] 6-3 7-6(4)
Andy Murray is into the quarter-finals of an ATP event for the second time this season after defeating Alexander Bublik in straight sets in Stuttgart. The Brit produced a strong serving performance in the opening set as he created a lot of angles to hit comfortable winners past the seventh seed.
As expected there was the unexpected from Bublik with underarm serves mixed with powerful aces seeing the Kazakh cause Murray problems on return. However the former world number one solved the Bublik problem quickly creating a couple of break points with some deep returning and effective point construction. In the end a break to love in the sixth game secured the crucial break as the Brit secured the opening set in 34 minutes.
If the opening set was comfortable and quick the second set was exactly the opposite for Murray as longer rallies and more patient tactics from Bublik were produced. Both players shared breaks at the start of the set before some consistently aggressive groundstrokes forced the errors from Murray as the Kazakh broke for a 4-2 lead.
Murray had to overcome a wave of Bublik aggression as he was forced to save three break points as the world number 42 was determined to make life as awkward as possible for the Brit. In the end the Brit would produce world class tennis in important moments and took advantage of an erratic ninth game from Bublik as a break to love ensured the set was back on serve.
The second set would go to a tiebreak as both players found their rhythm on serve and in the end it was Murray’s intelligent play mixed with aggressive tactics that secured the tiebreak 7-4 and a place in the quarter-finals. This week’s result means its Murray’s first ATP tour quarter-final since Sydney in January.
Andy Murray v Stefanos Tsitsipas [1] H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Andy Murray v Stefanos Tsitsipas [1] | H2H: Tsitsipas leads 1-0 |
| ATP Stuttgart | Stuttgart, Germany |
| Grass (O) | Prize Money: €20,920 |
| Third on Center Court (13:00 BST) | TennisTV <- Subscription Required |
Murray will now face a stern test of his grass court credentials when he takes on top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the last eight.
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2022)
| H2H: | Andy Murray (WR 68) | Stefanos Tsitsipas (WR 5) |
| Tournament Previous Best | N/A | N/A |
| 1st Serve % | 59.5 | 62.7 |
| Service Games Won % | 81.2 | 83.8 |
| Break Points Saved % | 58.8 | 61.6 |
| 2nd Serve Return Points Won % | 53.9 | 49.4 |
| Break Points Converted % | 34.9 | 47 |
Murray will need to improve his break point conversion rate to stand any chance of winning as the Greek has proved to be clinical this season.
Playing styles and prediction
After a good clay court season, Tsitsipas will be determined to shake off that Roland Garros defeat to Holger Rune and improve on recent disappointments in past years at Wimbledon. Tsitsipas’ serve mixed with aggression on the backhand gives him the foundation to build on a winning formula on the grass courts this year.
This will be a big test for Murray and will test his ability to defend his serve and be as aggressive as consistently possible. Tsitsipas will look to be aggressive from the backhand and try to finish points off at the net with the first serve from both players being the key battleground in this match. This should be an intriguing contest and if Murray can be as aggressive as he was during their US Open clash then he could earn himself an early confidence-booster heading into Wimbledon.
Prediction: Murray in three sets.
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