No coach class: Andy Murray has reached the final of his first tournament since parting with Miles Maclagan. Pic: © Reuters
Andy Murray made his way to the final of the Farmers Classic in Los Angeles despite a second set collapse. The Scot beat Feliciano Lopez 6-0 1-6 6-4 to progress to play Sam Querrey in Sunday’s final.
Playing in his first tournament since sacking coach Miles Maclagan, the top seed made an explosive start to the match. Murray was in imperious form as he took the first set 6-0 and took the first game of the second.
Any thoughts that Murray would breeze through were quickly dispelled though as Lopez bit back, winning six games in succession to level the score at one set each.
Murray, regained his composure to take a break early in the third and held to see out the third and take his place in the final. After the match, he admitted that it had been a strange affair but pointed out that neither player had played much tennis in the last month.
"Throughout the whole match until the end there, there wasn't a point where I was playing well and he was also playing well," Murray said.
"The third set was much closer but neither of us has played much since Wimbledon so maybe that explains the inconsistency."
Querrey sealed his place in the final with a hard-fought victory over Janko Tipsarevic, winning 6-7 7-6 6-4 after coming back from 5-1 down in the second set. Murray said he expected a real test against the world number 20, who grew up in LA.
"He won here last year and reached the final again this year so he obviously enjoys this court and will have a home crowd behind him," Murray said. "It will be very difficult."
