MUNICH, May 2, 2015

Due to torrential rain yesterday with all matches cancelled, it became a busy “Super-Saturday” at the BMW Open by FWU AG with six singles encounters – four quarterfinals and two semi-finals – taking place in Munich.

The tournament’s top favourites, first-seed Andy Murray as well as number three Roberto Bautista-Agut had a slow start into the day. Both men had to rally back from a set down in their quarterfinals – the Spaniard eventually beat Victor Estrella Burgos 4-6, 6-0, 6-0 and the Brit defeated Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 – before they met on centre court for their semi-final clash.

Victor Estrella Burgos

Lukas Rosol

Murray also had a bumpy start into his second match of the day, saved two break points in the third game of the opening set to deny Bautista-Agut being two breaks up. From then on, the world number three found his rhythm, gained the re-break and controlled most of the rallies until the end of the match. After one hour and 34 minutes, Murray served out winning 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first ever clay court final.

Roberto Bautista-Agut

Andy Murray celebrated reaching his first ATP clay court final

“It was tough, it was a long day. The first match was obviously tough for me. The second one, there were some long rallies. I managed to serve quite well and tried to keep the balls a bit shorter in that one,” Murray analysed his two encounters.

“Winning matches always build a bit of confidence. This is my first week on clay since Roland Garros last year. Pretty much eleven months since I have played on this surface. Hopefully with each match you feel a bit more comfortable. Tomorrow, obviously will be a tough one. I hope that we both can recover well having a good match.”

“I have never played three matches in one day,” Murray said, as he also was on court for the doubles semi-finals along with his partner Jean-Julien Rojer. The pair lost to top-seeds Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares. “I can’t even remember playing two singles matches in one day. I feel tired right now. Obviously I want to get back to the hotel and rest, eat well and getting as much recovery as I can. Hopefully, I get a good night sleep and feel good tomorrow morning.”

Murray doesn’t have any regrets coming to Munich. “Today was not beneficial in some ways. It’s not perfect for next week playing in Madrid, because at days like today, you do not recover from in one day. You need a few days. But in terms of the matches that I played, it is a positive and I hope that I can build on it in Madrid, Rome and the French Open.”

Finally, Murray told about an incident happened with Rosol during a changeover at the beginning of the second set: “He basically walked straight into me for no reason and then ran to the other end of the court. His fitness trainer came to apologize to me after the match. I shouldn’t have said what I said, but you know, if someone does that and you don’t respond you’re letting him dictate how the match goes. I was told by my dad, if someone pushes you or threatens you, that you stick up for yourself and that’s what I did today.”  

Murray also confirmed he was saying, that no one on the tour would like the Czech. “Yes, because of those situations. Like a couple of weeks ago, Garcia-López refused to shake his hand after he won the match. So normally it’s the loser who says, I don’t wanna shake hands but Garcia-López won and didn’t want to. I have never had a problem with him before but a lot of players have said he does those things often. It’s just silly. Today, it’s not one hundred per cent certain that he had won the match but it gave me more motivation when he did it. I told him that in the locker room when he apologized. Maybe, if you’re losing I can understand it more, but when you’re winning and things are going your way, it does not really make sense.”

Andy Murray seemed to be pretty tired in the post-match press conference

The other two quarterfinals also went the distance with Philipp Kohlschreiber beating fourth seed David Goffin 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 for the first time in their third tour meeting and qualifier Gerald Melzer winning the all-Austrian-affair against Dominic Thiem 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.

Dominic Thiem was moaning: “I am playing without first serve!”

David Goffin

Kohlschreiber struggled at the beginning of his semi-final against the world number 186, who made it to the stage of the last four for the first time. The 31-year-old German again needed to come back from a set down winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 after one hour and 36 minutes to reach his fourth final in Munich. Kohlschreiber had captured the title in 2007 and 2012 before he lost to Tommy Haas at the 2013 final.

Gerald Melzer has been the surprise of the tournament

Philipp Kohlschreiber had to play six sets on Saturday

“Perfect day for me with two victories. Reaching the first final in 2015 is great and this at home in Munich,” Kohschreiber was happy afterwards. “After the first match you couldn’t celebrate that much, as you needed to play again two hours later. One year in Kitzbühel, I had two matches in one day, but you do not have to have this at every tournament.”

“I did not underestimate him,” the German said about his close second match against Melzer. “He is a leftie with a lot of topspin in his shots. It was difficult for me to deal with in the beginning. Second set was almost perfect and I am also satisfied with the third.”

Philipp Kohlschreiber during post-match conference

Murray and Kohlschreiber met three times on the tour before with the Brit leading 2-1 in head to head records. The German’s last victory over the Scot came in Monte Carlo in 2010, winning in straight sets.

“I had a long match with Philipp at the French Open. We haven’t played that often, only three times. We played earlier the year at Indian Wells but he obviously enjoys playing here. He has had a lot of success at this event and I think in Germany in general. He won the week before the French Open last year (in Düsseldorf). He enjoys playing in front of his home crowd. I know it will be a tough match tomorrow,” Murray told about Sunday’s final.

“I think for the tournament, it’s a kind of a dream final when you have a German player and the top-seed battling it out for the title. I have nothing to lose, I played a terrific week and I am really in the mood for the final tomorrow,” Kohlschreiber is looking forward to the final.