Murray to Stare Down Ferrer at Madrid Open Quarters

Andy Murray is enjoying a somewhat misleadingly good run in Madrid. Murray reaches his first quarterfinal during the European clay-court stretch at Madrid on the back of wins over dubious opposition.

Fact is, his opponents have lacked enough weapons in their arsenal to seriously threaten him, even on clay – his least favourite surface. So far he has topped players such as Chela and Hanescu – two veterans that were at best, middleweights at the height of their game.

That is about to change though as Murray is set to come against his first real test of the tournament, David Ferrer, who is fresh off a runner-up finish at the Rome Masters a fortnight ago. In fact, Ferrer beat Murray en route to the final, 6-3, 6-4 in the last 16.

Murray may well like to avenge that score but wanting and actually doing it are two different things. And doing it before a home crowd, full of Ferrer supporters, is going to make matters tougher for Murray than they need to be. 

To beat Ferrer, let alone take a set off him, would be an accomplishment by Murray. He would need to tap into some heretofore unheralded clay-court depths in his being. Just writing it thus, makes it seem unthinkable.

Overall, the market is conspicuously leaning towards Ferrer in this match as you can see. For Murray to successfully stare down Ferrer, frighten his locks to stand up on their nervous tips, would take something special from the Scot -- something akin to finding a zone, which we haven't seen him in since last season, so can't see it happening, if you ask me.