Andy Murray notches important milestone with French Open victory
Scottish tennis star Andy Murray kept his French Open title hopes alive Monday with his three-set win against Karen Khachanov, and the victory marked an important milestone for the No. 1 ranked player in the tournament.
Murray secured his 650th in the fourth round of the French Open, and the top seed said that the game represents some of the strongest tennis he has played, creating momentum for his quarterfinal match against No. 8 Kei Nishikori.
“I think today was probably the best I have played overall. Each match I feel like I played better,” Murray said. “I have hit the ball cleaner and started to hit the right shots at the right moments. I have come a long way the last ten days or so.”
In a post-match interview, Murray admitted that his 2017 season started rocky, but he’s back on track with his French Open performance.
“Last couple of months … I just haven’t been playing well,” Murray said. “I’ve been struggling, low on confidence, and not quite sure what to do on the court, but I’ve managed to turn it around here.
Murray had an extensive schedule in 2016, competing in 13 tournaments including the Olympics after the Monte Carlo Masters in April, and the tennis star called the series “mentally and physically draining.”
Murray’s run in this year’s French Open, his ninth tournament of 2017, will continue for at least one more day, as he will now compete in his seventh career quarterfinals at the French Open. The next time the No. 1 seed takes the court, however, he will serve with a little more confidence and another exclusive milestone next to his name: 650 wins.
