Andy Murray has reached his first ATP Tour final in almost a year, following an impressive run to the Qatar Open showpiece match.
The three-time Grand Slam winner overcame Czech player Jiri Lehecka in a thrilling match, saving five match points in the process. Murray fought back from a 5-3 deficit in the final set to clinch the victory in a tiebreak.
The win was the fourth time he has won in three sets, which included victories over Alexandre Muller and Lorenzo Sonego. He will now face third seed Daniil Medvedev in the final, who beat Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the other semi-final match.
Murray, who has shown great resilience in the tournament, said his narrow victories are a result of his learning from defeats last season. He pointed out that he lost a lot of close matches, but the scoring system in tennis can change things quickly.
He said that he had multiple conversations with his team, and he believed he would start winning matches due to the “law of averages.” He added that his self-belief has been strengthened by navigating a way out of so many tricky situations in a short timespan.
Murray also highlighted that there is a certain calmness to those situations, and he knows how to play when he finds himself in difficult positions.
