#Andy Murray Advances to Second Consecutive Grass-Court Final at Nottingham Open 2023
Rothesay Open
Venue: Nottingham Tennis Centre
Dates: June 12-18
Coverage: Live coverage daily on the BBC Red Button, Sport News Center website & app.
Andy Murray, representing Britain, secured a spot in his second consecutive grass-court final by defeating Portugal’s Nuno Borges in the semi-finals of the Nottingham Open.
36-year-old Murray, who claimed the Surbiton Trophy last Sunday, his first British title since 2016, is set to face French qualifier Arthur Cazaux in the final.
Cazaux, aged 20 and currently ranked 181st in the world, defeated the fifth seed Dominik Koepfer to secure his spot in the final.
Meanwhile, in the women’s event, Katie Boulter and Jodie Burrage will go head-to-head in the first all-British WTA final since 1977.
Reflecting on his victory over the third seed Borges, who is ranked 73rd in the world, Murray said, “While you come here to enjoy the tennis, ultimately, winning the tournament is the goal. I had the opportunity to practice with Cazaux a few weeks ago, and he is a talented young French player, so it will be a good match. Playing against younger players is always challenging. Although some of these guys are new to me, I’ve practiced with Cazaux, so hopefully, there won’t be too many surprises.”
Murray expressed his enjoyment of the tournament, praising the exceptional quality of the grass courts. He commended the groundsman and their team for their efforts in maintaining the outstanding court conditions, which contributed to the high level of tennis displayed throughout the event.
Currently ranked 44th in the world, Murray aims to break into the top 32 before Wimbledon, which is scheduled to commence on July 3rd. With his nine consecutive victories and an impressive streak of not dropping a set in the past six matches, including all four in Nottingham, Murray’s performance is demonstrating his determination to achieve this goal.
Following the final on Sunday, Murray’s next tournament will be the Queen’s Club Championships in London. In the opening round, he is set to face the seventh seed and world number 18, Alex de Minaur of Australia. Murray has yet to secure a victory against de Minaur in their three previous encounters.
Skupski and Koolhof Triumph in the Netherlands
Wesley Koolhof (left) and Neal Skupski reached the final of the US Open men’s doubles last year
Neal Skupski from Britain, partnering with his Dutch teammate Wesley Koolhof, emerged victorious in the men’s doubles competition at the Libema Open in Rosmalen, the Netherlands.
In the final, they faced the duo of Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov, securing a 7-6 (7-1) 6-2 win.
At the Nottingham Open, the men’s doubles final showcased an all-British clash, with Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday defeating Liam Broady and Jonny O’Mara in a thrilling encounter, with a final score of 6-3 6-7 (10-7).
In the Stuttgart Open in Germany, American Francis Tiafoe and German Jan-Lennard Struff emerged as the finalists following their victories in the semi-finals against Marton Fucsovics of Hungary and Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, respectively.
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