Wimbledon 2009: Andy Murray makes easy work of Juan Carlos Ferrero to reach semis

Back under blue skies at Wimbledon, rather than under the white canvas of the Centre Court roof, Andy Murray today easily defeated Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero to become the first British semi-finalist at the All England Club since Tim Henman in 2002.

One more victory here, and Murray will be the first British man in the final since Bunny Austin in 1938, two more victories and Murray will become the first home champion since Fred Perry in 1936, and the councillors of Dunblane are going to have to find an open-top bus from somewhere.

Under a roof on Monday evening, Murray required five sets, and almost four hours, for a fourth-round defeat of Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka. This afternoon, Murray needed just three sets, and less than a couple of hours, to beat Ferrero, with his 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 victory taking him through to his second career grand slam semi-final, to play America's Andy Roddick or Australia's Lleyton Hewitt.

Murray has done better each time every year he has come to the All England Club. He made the third round of the 2005 tournament, the fourth round of the 2006 event, he missed the 2007 Championships because of a damaged wrist, he reached the quarter-finals last season, and now he has become only the third British man in the modern era to reach the semi-finals of the grass-court grand slam. Roger Taylor played a couple of semi-finals, and Tim Henman played four, but all six ended with a British defeat.

Murray's start was solid, rather than spectacular, as there were a fair number of errors from both rackets. There were also moments in the opening set, as Ferrero swished his racket on the forehand side, that you could see how he was once the French Open champion, and how he had once held the world No 1 ranking. But Ferrero, the first wild card into the quarter-finals since Croatia's Goran Ivanisevic in 2001, faltered when it really mattered; he just couldn't keep it together against Murray. A year ago, it had been Murray who couldn't play his best tennis when he needed to in a Wimbledon quarter-final, and he lost in straight sets to Rafael Nadal. On this occasion, it wasn't Murray who was showing frailties on the lawns, but his Spanish opponent.

The first set was on serve for the first 11 games, but, in the twelfth game, Murray produced a couple of fine winners, including a slapped forehand that landed just inside the sideline, and Ferrero double-faulted at set point down, his second serve landing beyond the service-line. It was Ferrero who took the first break of the second set, in the opening game, and he held a 3-1 lead, and yet the Iberian didn't win another game in the set. He dropped his serve to love in the sixth game, hitting a double-fault at breakpoint down, and lost his delivery again in the sixth game to love. Murray broke for 3-2 in the third set. Murray broke again for 5-2. From going 3-1 up in the second set, Ferrero won just two more games all match.