Murray: Uncharted territory

Overall I'm very relieved.

Andy Murray
Quotes of the week

US Open
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Andy Murray reached his first grand slam semi-final with a four-set win over Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open.

The Scot was made to battle for a 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 7-5 success over his 19-year-old Argentine opponent, who required repeated treatment to his left knee throughout the match.

Murray sealed victory after two minutes short of four hours on court and his reward is a last four meeting on Saturday with top seed Rafael Nadal, who beat Mardy Fish in his quarter-final.

The British number one took the opening three games before being pegged back at 3-3 but errors crept into his play and he eventually had to break at 6-5 down to force a tie-break.

Del Potro, who came into this match on a 23-game winning streak having claimed consecutive titles in Stuttgart, Kitzbuhel, Los Angeles and Washington, moved 2-1 up in the breaker, prompting a bizarre exchange between Murray and the umpire.

Murray asked for the large video screen located high above the seats at Arthur Ashe Stadium to be switched off, a request that was denied.

The altercation did not affect the sixth seed as he turned the momentum with six points on the bounce to secure the opening set.

Despite having his left knee bandaged during the first changeover and receiving treatment throughout the second set, Del Potro had a chance to break serve for a 4-2 lead but could not capitalise.

After both players wasted three break points in the first 10 games of the second set, Murray finally went up a break in the 11th game, wasting one opening before taking consecutive points to grab a 6-5 lead.

Fist pump

Murray pumped his fist in celebration, but promptly lost the advantage with his worst service game of the match in which he failed to win a point, meaning a second tie-break.

Again the 21-year-old from Dunblane found his best tennis at the crucial moment, losing just one point on the way to opening a two-set lead.

After falling 4-3 down in the third set, Del Potro started to throw caution to the wind and, as his big groundstrokes began to find their mark, he reeled off three consecutive games to force a fourth set.

But Murray was not to be denied and again chose his moment perfectly at 6-5 in front by breaking for the third time in the set to seal the result.

The pair had a famously bad-tempered previous meeting in Rome in May where Murray was incensed after Del Potro made a comment about his mother, but there was nothing but respect at the end of a remarkable contest.

"Overall I'm very relieved," said Murray.

"I had my chances in the third set and let it slip.

"But Juan has been on a great run so he had some confidence and fought hard. It was a great atmosphere at the end of the match."

Nadal was also extended to four sets in his quarter-final against Fish, eventually coming through 3-6 6-1 6-4 6-2.

A shock looked possible when the Spaniard surrendered the first set to his unseeded American opponent.

That proved to be the only blip for the 22-year-old, however, as he lost only seven more games while reeling off three sets in a row.

Nadal has an impressive record against Murray, having won all five of their previous meetings, including in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon earlier in the season.